JPH10224707A - Digital broadcast program video recording setting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent video recording of an On-Screen-Display signal by allowing the device to make video recording reservation in interlocking with a VTR without increasing the cost and inhibiting the superimposition of an OSD signal at the start of recording. SOLUTION: When a channel number to be reserved is entered by a key operation of the user, a control circuit 21 discriminates whether or not a pay-per-view program is broadcast through the channel and further discriminates whether or not the program is to be recorded when the channel is a pay-per-view program channel. When the channel program is discriminated to be recorded, the control circuit 21 controls an encode circuit 10 with an OSD to inhibit the superimposition of an OSD signal on a video signal to be recorded. Simultaneously the control circuit 21 controls the encode circuit 10 that is able to generate a prescribed signal to allow the circuit 10 to provide an output of a specific video signal (e.g. a black/white signal) for a prescribed time to a VTR that records the specific video signal. The VTR recognizes a start time of a reserved program by detecting the signal. Thus, an undesired OSD is prevented from being recorded and the control based on the program reservation in interlocking with the VTR is attained without the need for a control signal line through which a control signal is delivered to control the VTR.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is suitable for making a recording setting or a reservation recording setting of a digital broadcast program broadcasted by a digital transmission system, and recording the digital broadcast program in a recording / reproducing apparatus based on the recording setting. The present invention relates to a digital broadcast recording setting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital processing of images has been studied. Various methods have been studied for recording digital image data obtained by compressing a moving image signal on a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus. Generally, when a video signal is digitized, the amount of information becomes enormous, and it is difficult to transmit or record without compressing the information in terms of communication speed and cost. For this reason, in the transmission or recording of a digital video signal, an image compression technique is indispensable, and various standardization proposals have been studied in recent years. For moving images, MPEG
(Moving Picture Experts Group) system is standardized In particular, the MPEG2 system is the most widespread standardized image compression system, and has been decided to be adopted in digital broadcasting in the United States and Europe. This MPE
Decoders compatible with the G standard have also been commercialized, and MPE
It is supplied as a G decode board and mounted on a computer or the like.

Further, with the growth of image compression technology, development of digital image equipment has been progressing, and digital VTRs have been developed.
In addition, digital broadcast decoders (digital broadcast receivers, also referred to as digital set-top boxes), digital video disc players (hereinafter, referred to as DVDs), and the like have been commercialized.

As described above, the adoption of the high-efficiency compression coding technology makes it possible to further reduce the amount of code and to use transmission media and storage media widely, and also to use the high-efficiency compression coding in the broadcasting field. By adopting the advanced technology, the channel can be narrowed, and a multi-channel broadcasting form can be realized.

[0005] By the way, the broadcasting form which has made it possible to increase the number of channels by adopting the high-efficiency compression coding technique includes, for example, moving picture data and audio data by using a communication satellite (hereinafter, referred to as CS). There is a CS digital broadcast in which broadcast data is digitally transmitted and broadcast, and a main broadcast has already been started. Further, with the start of CS digital broadcasting, CS digital broadcasting decoders for receiving this broadcast signal have been commercialized by various companies.

As a format of the digital video signal in the CS digital broadcasting, a format based on the method of Recommendation 601 of ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union, Radio Communication Standardization Division) is adopted. In this format, the audio signal is pulse-code modulated (hereinafter referred to as PCM).
) Is digitized. Digitized video
The audio signal is compression-encoded in order to use a limited transmission band efficiently and multiplexed with other additional data and transmitted. At this time, as the compression encoding method and the multiplexing method, the MPEG standard which is an international standard is adopted as described above.

The multiplexed data string is added with an error correction code / data rearrangement processing (hereinafter, referred to as interleaving) and a synchronization signal is added (hereinafter, referred to as framing).
(These processes are hereinafter referred to as channel coding.)
, The data is modulated by four-phase modulation (hereinafter referred to as QPSK modulation), and then transmitted.

FIG. 7 shows a CS digital broadcast receiver for receiving a broadcast signal thus digitally transmitted.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of a conventional CS digital broadcasting receiver.

As shown in FIG. 7, a digital broadcast receiver 1 is connected to, for example, a CS dedicated satellite antenna 2 for receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a CS broadcast station (not shown). The broadcast signal received by the satellite antenna 2 is
The signal is supplied to the tuning circuit 3. The channel selection circuit 3 selects a predetermined channel from the received broadcast signal, and supplies a received signal of the channel to the demodulation circuit 4. The demodulation circuit 4 demodulates the received signal and supplies the demodulated signal to the error correction circuit 5.

The error correction circuit 5 performs a process reverse to the above-described transmission line coding, and performs a reordering process (hereinafter, referred to as a deinterleave) and a detection of a synchronization signal in addition to the error correction. . The data corrected by the error correction circuit 5 is supplied to a demultiplex circuit 6.

The demultiplexing circuit 6 separates video data, audio data and additional data from the multiplexed data string and supplies them to the decoding circuit 9 respectively. Decoding circuit 9
Recovers the compression-encoded video / audio data by performing a decoding process on the input data. Thereby, the original data to be compression-coded can be obtained.
Thereafter, the video signal returned to the format of ITU-T Recommendation 601 is converted to an NTSC analog signal by the encoding circuit 10, while the PCM digital audio signal is converted to an analog signal by the audio D / A converter 11. .

[0013] By supplying the obtained video signal and audio signal to, for example, a signal processing circuit in the display means, an image based on the video signal is displayed on the screen and can be reproduced as audio. Become.

Incidentally, such a CS digital broadcast receiver incorporates not only a function of receiving video and audio but also various functions using additional data. Among them, the program reservation function, the recording selection function of the received program, and the communication function using the telephone line are extremely important functions to cope with the recording to the recording / reproducing device expected in the future and the charging associated with the pay broadcast. Becomes

To explain these functions, the program reservation function displays program information included in the transmitted additional data, that is, display based on program broadcast schedule information (hereinafter referred to as a program guide) up to about one week ahead. This function allows the user to make a reservation in advance for receiving a desired program while checking on the television screen. In this program guide, the program name and broadcast date and time broadcast on each channel are displayed on the screen in a table format, and the user places the cursor on the screen on the desired program and presses the confirmation button to reserve the program can do.

The additional data also includes time information indicating the current time, and the control circuit 8 shown in FIG. 7 always compares the current time obtained from the time information with the preset time, Reception of the set program is started from the point in time when the coincidence is recognized. Further, the control circuit 8 detects the name of the currently broadcast program inserted in the additional data, and terminates the scheduled reception when it can recognize that the program for which the scheduled reception is completed has been completed. Thereby, reception based on the reserved program can be performed, and when the program ends, reception based on the reserved program can be automatically terminated.

[0017] In addition, in CS digital broadcasting, a contract form (hereinafter, referred to as a pay-as-you-go fee) for paying only for viewing in units of programs is provided.
Pay-per-view).
In order to view pay-per-view programs, the user must confirm the viewing fee and broadcast time information of the program sent as a part of the signal on the TV screen, and purchase the program in units of programs. Must.

The viewing fee is set differently depending on whether the program is to be recorded or not, so that the user can select whether or not to record the program when purchasing the program. In this case, if no recording is selected, the program purchase fee is reduced, but special processing is performed on the video signal, and there is no effect when directly watching on a television. However, when the program at the time of selecting this mode is recorded on a recording / reproducing device such as a VTR and the recorded program is viewed on a television, interference occurs on an image,
It is not projected normally. That is, such a function is copy protection.

When the user purchases a pay-per-view program, the billing information is stored in an I
It is temporarily stored in the C card 7 and is periodically transmitted to the customer management center via a telephone line connected to the receiver. Regarding the transmission of the billing information, the control circuit 8 is operated by a signal emitted from the IC card 7, and the modem circuit 12 having a calling signal output function to a telephone line, data transmission / reception function, and a calling signal detection function is operated. Under control, communication takes place automatically without any user intervention. This allows the customer management center to
Based on the transmitted billing information, billing for the paper view program watched by the user can be performed, and billing values for each user can be managed.

The encoding circuit 10 converts a digital video signal into an analog video signal,
It is also possible to output a specific test pattern generated internally. That is, the display operation is confirmed by outputting a specific test pattern. The contents of the test pattern and whether to output the test pattern or the received video signal can be arbitrarily controlled by a control signal from the control circuit 8. However, such a test pattern generation function has been used only for confirming the operation of the CS digital broadcast receiver in the development stage, but is currently not installed in actual products at the stage of practical use. is there.

Further, as described above, the reservation operation using the program guide and the purchase operation of the pay-per-view program are performed as follows.
An on-screen display function (hereinafter referred to as OSD) that allows characters and graphics generated inside the receiver to be displayed on a screen to explain the operation method, etc., so that the user can operate smoothly. ) Are extremely effective, and some of them have actually been put to practical use. The CS digital broadcast receiver shown in FIG.
Although an SD function is provided and the circuit configuration is usually provided by providing an original OSD display circuit or the like, it is incorporated in the decoding circuit 9 for the purpose of reducing the circuit size and the like. Characters and graphics necessary to display are generated.

However, the conventional CS as described above
A digital broadcast receiver can automatically receive a reserved program by a program reservation function, but cannot automatically record a reserved program because there is no function to link with a recording / reproducing device such as a VTR. In the prior art, V
By connecting the TR and the BS receiver using a specific signal line, and performing communication for controlling the VTR from the BS receiver and making reservation settings for the BS receiver, automatic recording is possible. Although this method can be considered as a solution, it is necessary to add a circuit group for communication, and this may increase the cost of the equipment itself. Is not used.

In addition, a television output and a VTR output are separately provided for video outputs of other conventional BS receivers and the like, and an OSD signal is not multiplexed on the VTR output in consideration of recording. I have. However, since the CS digital broadcast receiver has only one system of video output, the output signal to be output is determined by OSD at a predetermined timing such as when switching channels or when power is turned on / off irrespective of whether or not recording is performed. The signals are multiplexed. The CS digital broadcast receiver may also be configured to provide two systems of video outputs in the same manner. However, in order to make the television output in which the normal OSD signal is multiplexed and the VTR output in which the OSD is not multiplexed independent. However, there is a disadvantage that the decoding circuit and the encoding circuit must be newly provided, and the cost is greatly increased.

Further, in order to execute the program reservation function of the present receiver, it is necessary to directly operate a CS digital broadcast receiver for performing a reservation operation.
It is not possible to make a program reservation using a digital broadcast receiver or a program reservation using a telephone line. In other words, there is a disadvantage that the recording setting cannot be made if the user goes out of the room by forgetting to set the program reservation.

[0025]

As described above, in the conventional digital broadcast recording setting device, a program automatically reserved by the program function can be received. Since it has no function, there is a problem that it is not possible to automatically record a reserved program.

Since only one video and audio output system is provided for cost reasons accompanying the circuit scale reduction, an OSD signal is superimposed on this output signal regardless of whether or not recording is performed. As a result, there is a disadvantage that unnecessary OSD signals are also recorded together.

Further, in order to execute the program reservation, it is necessary to directly operate the receiver. If the user forgets to set the program reservation and goes out, he cannot make the reservation setting. There is also a problem that the program to be performed cannot be recorded.

In view of the above, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and enables recording reservation linked to a VTR without increasing the cost, and inhibits superposition of an OSD signal at the start of recording, thereby reducing unnecessary OSD. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital broadcast recording setting device capable of preventing display recording.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a digital broadcast recording setting device which allows a user to set a program reservation from another device having a communication function via a telephone line without directly operating a receiver for performing a reservation operation. .

[0030]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital broadcast recording setting apparatus according to the present invention, comprising: a reservation unit for reserving reception of a specific program; A recording selection means for allowing the user to select whether or not to record the program at the start of the program, and an on-screen signal generated for on-screen display superimposed on the received signal of the program, as a signal for recording. An on-screen circuit to be output, and a control of whether or not an on-screen signal is superimposed by the on-screen circuit. If the user selects to record by an operation of the recording setting means, the selected program is received. Control means for controlling the superimposition of the on-screen signal on the received signal of the program after time,
It is provided with.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the reservation means reserves reception of a specific program. The recording selection means is for allowing a user to select whether or not to record the program when the program is reserved or when the reception of the program is started. The on-screen circuit superimposes an on-screen signal generated for on-screen display on the received signal of the program, and outputs the signal as a signal for recording. The control means is capable of controlling the presence or absence of superimposition of an on-screen signal by the on-screen circuit, and when it is selected to record by an operation of the recording setting means of the user, after receiving the selected program, Control is performed to prohibit superimposition of the on-screen signal on the received signal of the program. Thereby, when a program selected to be recorded is received, superimposition of an on-screen signal is automatically prohibited, so that unnecessary recording of an on-screen display can be prevented.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital broadcast recording setting apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a video signal generating means for generating a predetermined video signal regardless of a received signal. The control means is capable of controlling the type of the video signal in the video signal generating means and whether or not the video signal is generated, and when the user selects the recording by operating the recording setting means. Controlling the video signal generation circuit to output the predetermined video signal for a predetermined time immediately before the start of reception of the selected reserved program or immediately after the reception of the reserved program, so that the device for recording is controlled. It is characterized by recognizing the start and end of recording.

According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first aspect, the control means can control the type of the video signal in the video signal generating means and whether or not the video signal is generated. When recording is selected by a user's operation of the recording setting means, the video signal generating circuit is controlled to immediately start receiving the selected reserved program.
Alternatively, immediately after the end of the reception of the reserved program, the predetermined video signal is output for a predetermined time. As a result, it becomes possible for the recording device to recognize the start and end of the recording, and the start and the end of the recording by the VTR can be performed without the control signal connected between the receiver and the VTR, which is conventionally required. Can be controlled.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital broadcast recording setting device according to the first aspect, which performs data communication with a partner device of an arbitrary number via a telephone line. The control means, when making a program reservation for a partner device, uses the modem circuit to generate data based on the reserved program generated. Is transmitted to a partner device via a telephone line, and when the transmission data is received, a channel number and a program start time of a reserved program based on the data are set, and a program reservation is executed. It is assumed that.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the control means makes a program reservation to a partner device,
By using the modem circuit, data based on the generated reserved program is transmitted to the partner device via a telephone line, and when the transmission data is received, the channel number and the channel number in the reserved program based on the data are transmitted. A program start time is set and a program reservation is executed. Thereby, in addition to the operation of the present invention described in claims 1 and 2, even if the user forgets to reserve a program and goes out, it is possible to set the program reservation from a remote place via the telephone line. .

[0036]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of an embodiment of a digital broadcast recording setting apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the digital broadcast recording setting apparatus 20 according to the present invention has a hardware configuration similar to that of the conventional receiver shown in FIG. A control circuit 21 for controlling a recording selection function of a program, a communication function using a telephone line for charging, and the like is configured in place of the conventional one. That is, the digital broadcast recording setting device 20 is connected to the CS dedicated satellite antenna 2 that receives a broadcast signal transmitted from, for example, a CS broadcast station (not shown).

The broadcast signal received by the satellite antenna 2 is supplied to a tuning circuit 3. The channel selection circuit 3 selects a predetermined channel from the received broadcast signal, and supplies a received signal of the channel to the demodulation circuit 4. The demodulation circuit 4 demodulates the received signal and supplies the demodulated signal to the error correction circuit 5.

The error correction circuit 5 is a circuit for performing a process reverse to the above-described transmission line coding, and performs a reordering process (also referred to as deinterleaving) and a detection of a synchronization signal in addition to the error correction. The data corrected by the error correction circuit 5 is supplied to a demultiplex circuit 6.

The demultiplexing circuit 6 separates video data, audio data and additional data from the multiplexed data string, and supplies them to the decoding circuit 9 respectively. Decoding circuit 9
Recovers the compression-encoded video / audio data by performing a decoding process on the input data. Thereby, the original data to be compression-coded can be obtained.
Thereafter, the video signal returned to the format of the ITU-T Recommendation 601 is converted to an NTSC analog signal by the encoding circuit 10, while the PCM digital audio signal is converted to an analog signal by the audio D / A converter 11. .

By supplying the obtained video signal and audio signal to, for example, a signal processing circuit in the display means, an image based on the video signal can be displayed on the screen and reproduced as audio. Become.

The control circuit 21 performs control based on the program reservation setting, control based on the received program reservation setting, and
Communication control using a telephone line can be performed. FIG. 2 shows an example of a control operation by the control circuit 21 which can perform these controls.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the control operation by the control circuit 21, and is a flowchart showing the control operation when a program is received. The operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Now, assuming that the power of the digital broadcast recording setting device 20 shown in FIG. 1 has been turned on and the reception of the program has started, the control circuit 21 starts up and shifts the processing to step S30. That is, in the process in step S30, the user inputs a channel number by a key operation, and in the next step S31, refers to the additional data separated from the received data to determine whether or not the program is a pay-per-view program. I do. At this time, if it is determined that the program is a pay-per-view program, step S32
Requesting the user to perform a purchase operation and determining whether or not the user has purchased a program. That is, the user is allowed to select whether or not to purchase a program by displaying on a screen a selection screen for selecting program purchase on a screen (a screen of a television or the like). In this process, if the purchase is rejected, the process returns to the state before the input of the channel program in step S34. On the other hand, if the program purchase has been executed, the process proceeds to step S33.

If it is determined in step S31 that the program is not a pay-per-pull program, the process also proceeds to step S33. That is, in the processing in step S333, the case where the purchase operation is executed and the case where the corresponding program is not the pay-per-view program are used.

In the processing in step S33, a recording selection screen for requesting the user to select whether or not to record is displayed on-screen on a screen (not shown).
It is determined whether or not there is a recording. If the result of the determination is that the video is to be recorded, the process proceeds to step S35. If it is determined that the video is not to be recorded, the reception of the program is started in step S37. To control.

In the conventional CS digital broadcast receiver, since there is a program that requires copy protection only for the pay-per-view program, except when the pay-per-view program is received,
There was no function to select whether to record,
However, in the recording setting control method of the present invention, the user can select whether or not to record before starting reception of all programs.

Therefore, if it is selected not to record in step S33, the reception of the program is started in a state where the OSD function is operated, but if it is selected to record, the OSD function is executed in step S35. After controlling to stop the function, in the process in step S36, the encoding circuit 10 is controlled so that the recording / reproducing apparatus (for example, VTR) detects that the recording reservation starts, and the specific video signal is transmitted for a predetermined time. Output. afterwards,
Through the processing in step S37, reception of the pay-per-view program is started.

That is, by controlling the encoding circuit 10 by the control circuit 21, a specific video signal is forcibly outputted to a signal processing circuit of a display means (not shown),
The VTR as a connected recording / reproducing device detects this, recognizes it as a control signal for starting recording, and can automatically start recording. The specific video signal is CS
This signal has a predetermined signal form at the stage of designing the digital broadcast receiver and the VTR, and is a signal for automatically starting recording when the VTR detects the input of this signal. Therefore, in order to easily detect a signal on the VTR side, it is desirable to use a signal having a configuration as simple as possible and a signal form that is not usually used.

As a specific video signal, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a white signal and a black signal are divided into one frame (1/30).
For example, a signal having a simple configuration such that the signal is output alternately for one second for each second may be used. Thus, the VTR can easily identify the brightness of the video signal by detecting the brightness of the video signal and monitoring the period of the change. The encoding circuit 1
At 0, video test patterns such as color bars, white signals, and black signals can be easily generated under the control of the control circuit 21, and the switching of those signals can be sufficiently switched at a frame period as fast as possible. It is.

Therefore, by implementing the control method as described above, the signal recorded on the VTR is
D signal can be prevented from being superimposed, and
Even if a control signal line for controlling the VTR is unnecessary and the user does not directly operate the VTR, the VTR can automatically start recording immediately after the CS digital broadcast receiver starts receiving a program. . As a result, it is possible to record only an image based on a video signal for which OSD display is not performed, and since a control signal line is not required, an increase in cost of the receiving device itself can be suppressed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the digital broadcast recording setting apparatus according to the present invention, and showing an operation example of program reservation control by the control circuit 21.

Referring to FIG. 4, the operation when executing program reservation will be described in detail. Now, it is assumed that the user has operated an operation unit (not shown) of the digital broadcast recording setting device 20 in order to make a program reservation. Then, the control circuit 21 executes the program reservation mode in step S40, and displays, for example, a program selection screen (program guide screen) for making a program reservation on the screen of the television.

Thereafter, in the processing in step S41,
The user is caused to select a corresponding program from a selection screen such as the program guide.

Then, the control circuit 21 proceeds to step S42.
, The broadcast start time T of the program is set to Tstart,
Control is performed such that the channel number I on which the program is broadcast is set as Iyoyaku and stored in a memory provided inside the control circuit. Thereafter, the processing shifts to step S44.

In the process in step S44, it is determined whether or not the program is a pay-per-view program.
At this time, if it is determined that the program is a pay-per-view program, a request for a purchase operation by the user is made in step S45 to determine whether or not the program is purchased. That is,
By displaying on a screen (a screen of a television or the like) a selection screen for selecting a program purchase, the user is allowed to select whether or not to purchase the program. If the purchase is rejected in this process, the program reservation operation is terminated in step S47. On the other hand, when the program purchase has been executed, the process proceeds to step S46.

Also, if it is determined in step S44 that the program is not a pay-per-pull program, the process also proceeds to step S46. That is, in step S46, the case where the purchase operation is executed and the case where the corresponding program is not the pay-per-view program.

Then, by the processing in step S46, when the purchase operation is executed and the program is not a pay-per-view program, the user is requested to select whether or not to record the program. At this time, if it is selected not to record, the control circuit 21 controls in step S57 so as to enter the reserved recording standby state.
The comparison is performed until the time T matches the program start time Tstart. That is, if they match, the program start time T
It is determined that the start has been reached, and the channel number Iyoyaku is selected by the processing in the next step S59.
The reception of the program based on the channel number is started.

Incidentally, the reserved recording standby state means that the control circuit 21
Is a state in which the relationship between the current time T and Tstart is constantly monitored. While receiving the reserved program, the control circuit 2
1 monitors whether or not the program has ended by the processing of step S61. If it is detected that the program has ended, the reservation receiving operation ends in the processing of the next step S62.

On the other hand, if the user selects to record the pay-per-view program in the selection of whether or not to record the pay-per-view program in step S46, the control circuit 21
Is controlled in step S48 so as to enter the reserved recording standby state. At this time, the control circuit 21 performs a match comparison between the current time T and the program start time Tstart.
In the process in step S49, the current time T is set to Tstart
If it is determined that the time has arrived one second before, the process proceeds to the next step S50, and if not, the process returns to step S48 again until the time reaches one second before the program start time Tstart. The above determination is continued.

In the process in step S50, control is performed to stop the OSD function. Thus, the OSD signal is not superimposed on the signal output from the receiver.

Thereafter, the control circuit 21 proceeds to step S51.
, The channel number Iyoyaku is selected, and then the encoding circuit 10
After outputting the specific video signal V1 generated in the above for 1 second,
In step S53, reception of the program is started.

During the reception of the reserved program, the control circuit 21 determines whether or not the program has ended in step S54. In the processing in the next step S55, the specific video signal V2 generated by the encoding circuit 10 is set to 1
After outputting for two seconds, the reservation receiving operation is ended in step S56.

The specific video signals V1 and V2 used in the present embodiment are signals determined in advance in the design stage of the VTR of the CS digital broadcast receiver, as in the above-described embodiment. That is, V1 is a signal for automatically starting recording when the input of the signal is detected by the VTR side, and V2 is a signal for automatically stopping recording when the input of the signal is detected. Signal. Therefore, since these video signals V1 and V2 are simply signals for the VTR to detect the start and end of recording, the signal format is as simple as possible in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and is generally used. A signal form that is not used may be used.

For example, as an example of V1 and V2, a signal that alternately outputs a white signal and a black signal shown in FIG. 3 for one frame (1/30 second) for one second is used as V1. , V2, a signal for alternately outputting the white signal and the black signal shown in FIG. 3 for two frames (1/15 second) for one second is used. Thus, the VTR can easily distinguish between V1 and V2 by identifying the cycle in which the brightness of the video signal changes, and as a result, the start and end of recording in the reserved program can be detected. It becomes possible.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment, when the user sets to record the corresponding program even in the case of receiving the program by reservation, the receiver is used. With the start / end of the reception of the reserved program, the recording start / end operation can be linked to the VTR, and the video signal can be output without the OSD signal being superimposed on the signal to be recorded.

In the present embodiment, the specific video signals V1 and V2 for detecting the start and end of the recording by the VTR are described so as to be output for one second each. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It does not need to be performed, and it is sufficient that the VTR can detect each signal sufficiently.

In the digital broadcast recording setting apparatus of the present invention, it is also possible to make a reservation setting by another device, for example, a digital broadcast receiver via a telephone line. An example of such an embodiment is shown in FIGS.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the digital broadcast recording setting apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an example of the control operation of another digital broadcast recording setting apparatus for making reservation settings from a remote position. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a control operation of the digital broadcast recording setting device to be reserved.

First, a digital broadcast recording setting apparatus for setting a reservation from a remote place using a telephone line will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Since the digital broadcast recording setting device 20 (see FIG. 1) includes the modem circuit 12, the digital broadcast recording setting device 20 transmits billing information based on the viewing of the pay-per-view program to the customer management center using a telephone line. It is also possible to transmit a reservation setting signal (also called a call signal) necessary for program reservation. The communication control at this time is controlled by the control circuit 21.

Now, another digital broadcast recording setting device 2
It is assumed that the program reservation of the digital broadcast recording setting device at a remote place is made by using 0. At this time, the digital broadcast recording setting device 2
By operating the operation unit (not shown) at 0,
The control circuit 21 starts the control operation, and executes a mode for setting a reservation of another CS digital broadcast receiver prepared in advance in step S70 (hereinafter, referred to as a reservation setting mode for another device).

Thereafter, the control circuit 21 shifts the processing to step S71, in which the personal identification number Xp set in the CS digital broadcast receiver for performing the reservation operation based on the user's input is input. In the processing in step S72, the number Np of the telephone line to which the device is connected is stored.

Then, the control circuit 21 proceeds to the next step S
In the processing by 73, 74, and 75, the program start time Tstart based on the program selected by the user from the program selection screen such as the program guide displayed on the screen of the television and the channel number Iyoyaku of the program are stored, respectively. Shifts to step S76.

In the process in step S76, the control circuit 21 controls the modem circuit 12 (see FIG. 1) to short-circuit the telephone line. The operation in this case corresponds to the operation of picking up the telephone receiver of a normal telephone.

Then, the control circuit 21 shifts the processing to step S77, in which a call signal corresponding to the telephone number Np of the device to be reserved for the program is transmitted to the telephone line. And a predetermined modem response sequence between the CS digital broadcast receiver and the modem. Here, the predetermined modem response sequence is a system recommended by the ITU-T. By executing this sequence, the modulation system and the transmission speed are determined, and the modems communicate with each other. It is set to be able to do.

After the response sequence of the modem is completed in step S78, the control circuit 21 responds to the recitation number Xp, the reserved program start time Tstart, and the reserved program channel number Iyoyaku in the next step S79. Data Dx (Xp), Dt (Tstart), Di
(Iyoyaku). In this case, the recitation number Xp, the reserved program start time Tstart, and the channel number Iyoyaku
And corresponding data Dx (Xp), Dt (Tstar
t) and Di (Iyoyaku) need to be determined in advance by the transmitting side and the receiving side. In other words, the receiving side has Dx
From the data such as (Xp), Dt (Tstart), and Di (Iyoyaku), the reciting number Xp, start time Tstart, and channel number Iyoyaku must be obtained.

After terminating the communication, the control circuit 21 controls in step S80 to release the telephone line and terminate the other device reservation setting mode. Thus, the program reservation setting on the transmission side is completed.

Next, the operation of the CS digital broadcast receiver that receives the reservation setting signal will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Now, it is assumed that a reservation setting signal has been transmitted from another digital broadcast recording setting device via a telephone line. Then, the receiving digital broadcast recording setting device receives the reservation setting signal transmitted by the telephone modem circuit 12. That is, the control circuit 21 determines in step S8
The reservation setting signal (call signal) is detected by the process of 1 and the modem circuit 12 is controlled to short-circuit the telephone line in the next step S82.

Thereafter, the control circuit 21 proceeds to step S83.
Then, after the response sequence of the modem is executed in the processing, the processing in steps S84 and S85
Data Dx (Xp), Dt (Tstart), Di (Iyoyaku) sent from the CS digital broadcast receiver on the transmission side
And stores the data in a memory in the control circuit 21 (not shown).

When the communication is completed, the control circuit 21
Releases the telephone line in step S86, and then stores the stored data Dx in the process in step S87.
(Xp), Dt (Tstart), and Di (Iyoyaku) are read out, and from the read data, the password Xp, the program start time Tstart, and the channel number Iyoyaku of the program are obtained, and the process proceeds to step S88.

A password is set in the CS digital broadcast receiver on the receiving side in advance, and the control circuit 21 compares the determined password Xp with the set password in the processing in step S88. If they do not match, control is made to cancel the reservation setting. Here, the reason why the previously set password is compared with the received Xp is that only the reservation setting operation by the user of the CS digital broadcast receiver to be reserved is permitted, This is in order to avoid setting a reservation easily. That is, malfunction is prevented.

If the password Xp and the password match in the match comparison in step S88, the process shifts to step S89 where the program start time Tstar
t and the channel number Iyoyaku of the program are stored, and control is performed in the next step S91 so as to be in a reservation standby state. The reservation standby state is a state in which the current time T is always compared with the reserved program start time Tstart, as described in the above embodiment, and the current time T is the reservation start time T
After the start, the control circuit 21 proceeds to the next step S9
2 to start the reservation receiving operation.

Thus, the setting based on the reservation setting signal transmitted from another digital recording setting device using the telephone line can be performed for the digital recording setting device for recording.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to set a program reservation from another device by previously determining a method for converting the information used for the reservation into data to be communicated via the telephone line. Becomes

In the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 5, a description has been given of using another CS digital broadcast recording setting device (receiver) as a device for transmitting a reservation setting signal. The data Dx (Xp), Dt corresponding to the personal identification number Xp, the program start time Tstart, and the channel number Iyoyaku of the program
Any device that can transmit (Tstart) and Di (Iyoyaku) can be used. For example, if transmission is performed using an arbitrary communication device such as a personal computer, a program reservation setting from outside can be performed in a wide range. It is possible to do with.

If it is necessary to make a reservation setting from a remote place, it may be assumed that the time slot for which the program to be reserved is to be recorded is crowded.
Subsequent to the start of the reservation reception shown in the flowchart in FIG. 6, control may be performed such that the control operation is performed according to the flowchart in FIG. 4 described in the embodiment. This makes it possible to set the program reservation from a distant place and, at the start of program reception, output the specific video signal to the VTR to be recorded so that the start and end of recording can be detected. You can make an absence recording.

[0090]

As described above, according to the present invention, when receiving a program set to be recorded by a user,
Since the superimposition of the OSD signal can be automatically prohibited, unnecessary recording of the OSD display can be prevented. Also, since a specific video signal can be output immediately before a reserved program set to be recorded or immediately after receiving a reservation is completed, if the VTR detects this signal, recording is automatically started or started. The termination can be detected by the VTR. That is, the receiver, V
The VTR can be controlled without any control signal line between the TRs.

Further, it is possible to set a reservation from a remote place via a telephone line, to provide a device with good operability and high convenience, and to implement it at low cost. The effect that can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a digital broadcast recording setting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control operation when a reserved program is received.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a white video signal and a black video signal as signals for controlling a VTR.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another embodiment and showing an example of a scheduled recording setting operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another example of the embodiment, and showing an example of a control operation in another apparatus when making a reservation setting using a telephone line.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control operation example of a device for executing program reservation based on a reservation setting signal transmitted by the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a conventional digital broadcast recording setting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

2. Satellite antenna, 3. Tuning circuit, 4. Demodulation circuit, 5.
Error correction circuit, 6: demultiplex circuit, 7: IC card, 9: decode circuit, 10: encode circuit, 11
... Audio D / A converter, 12 ... Modem circuit, 20 ... Digital broadcast recording setting device, 21 ... Control circuit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Reservation means for reserving reception of a specific program, and recording selection means for allowing a user to select whether or not to record the program at the time of reservation of the program or at the start of reception of the program. An on-screen circuit that superimposes an on-screen signal generated for on-screen display on the received signal of the program, and outputs the signal as a signal for recording; and whether or not the on-screen signal is superimposed by the on-screen circuit. Controllable, if the user selects to record by operation of the recording setting means,
Control means for controlling so as to prohibit superimposition of an on-screen signal on a reception signal of the selected program after reception of the selected program. 2. A video signal generating means for generating a predetermined video signal irrespective of a received signal, wherein said control means controls the type of the video signal in said video signal generating means and whether or not the video signal is generated. If the user selects to record by operation of the recording setting means, the video signal generating circuit is controlled to start the reception of the selected reserved program or the reception of the reserved program. 2. The digital broadcast recording setting device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined video signal is output for a certain period of time immediately after the termination, so that the recording device recognizes the start and end of the recording. 3. A communication system comprising a modem circuit capable of performing data communication with a partner device of an arbitrary number via a telephone line. When making a reservation, by using the modem circuit, data based on the generated reservation program is transmitted to the partner device via a telephone line, and when the transmission data is received, 2. The digital broadcast recording setting device according to claim 1, wherein a program number is set by setting a channel number and a program start time in a reserved program based on the program.