JPS62141877A - Contract viewing program distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To offer a program only to a contractor by detecting the correspondence between the contract state of a contractor viewing program and a terminal equipment number by a channel request signal at the center so as to apply priority discrimination of program transmission thereby applying propriety discrimination of program sending with the operation of the center side only. CONSTITUTION:A memory 142 of a video image selection controller 140 of a center controller 100 is provided with a terminal equipment number area, a channel buffer area and a program information area. When a channel request signal is received from a terminal equipment 300, the video image selection controller 140 uses the memory 142 so as to discriminate whether the channel is used for an open program or a contractor viewing program, and reads the terminal equipment number and the requested program number from the memory 142 in case of the contractor viewing program and the result is transferred to a connection control common device 150. The contract state of each channel number is described in a file in the device 150 corresponding to each terminal equipment number and the discrimination of propriety sending the requested program channel number is applied and when the sending of number is enabled, a CPU 141 sends a changeover command signal commanding the program number (channel number) read from the channel buffer in the memory 142 to a tuner 130.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a subscriber viewing program distribution system for providing specific programs only to subscribers in a video distribution system such as CATV (cable television).

``Prior Art'' In a video distribution system such as CATV, the conventional method of providing a specific program only to subscribers is to add an interfering signal to the video signal sent from the center so that it cannot be viewed on general terminals. It was common practice to lend only subscribers a terminal with a function to remove the interfering signal so that they could watch the program.

According to this method, when changing the method of giving interference signals or changing the contract details, it is necessary to go to the user's home and replace the terminal itself or a part of it, which requires an enormous amount of labor. There was an inconvenience. Furthermore, there was also the drawback that a specific channel could be viewed illegally by forging a special terminal device.

"Means for Solving Problems" This invention provides a video distribution system having a tuner on the center control device side, in which when a program for viewing by a subscriber is selected, it is determined whether or not the program should be transmitted by operation only on the center side. and provides viewing programs only to those subscribers.

According to this invention, when the center control device receives a channel request signal for a subscriber's viewing program from a terminal device, only if the terminal device has registered a contract for the subscriber's viewing program, the center control device receives the channel request signal for the subscriber's viewing program. broadcast programs for viewers to watch. To do this, the center control device stores a file indicating the contract status for each terminal device, that is, the contracted viewing number (channel number) for each terminal device, and sends a signal to the channel request. Check the file to see if there is a contract.

In other words, the main feature of this invention is that by controlling channel requests on the center side, the correspondence between the contract status of the subscriber's viewing program and the terminal device number is detected, and it is determined whether or not the program can be transmitted. This differs from the conventional technology in that only the center side can control whether or not a program can be transmitted.

"Embodiment" FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Center control device 10
0 and the terminal device 300 are the transmission path 2o.

are connected through. The center control word 2100 includes the tuner VHF converter 110, VHF distributor 120, tuner 130. Video selection control device 12140.

It is composed of a common connection control device 150, a guide screen sending device 160, and an information sending device W170.

The VHF conversion device 110 is connected to an information sending device 170 via a cable 15 and to a guidance screen sending device 160 via a cable 16, and converts a plurality of video and audio signals from the information sending device 170 and the guidance screen sending device 160. V
HF multiplexing and VHF distribution device 12 via cable 11
A VHF multiplex signal is sent to 0.

The VHF distribution device 120 is connected via a cable 12 to a tuner 130 prepared for each terminal device 300. Tuner 130 is connected to optical transmission device 210 via cable 22 and to video selection control device 140 via cable 13. The tuner 130 receives a channel selection signal from the video selection control device 140 via the cable 13, and selects a channel corresponding to the channel selection signal from the VHF multiplexed signal sent from the VHF distribution device 120 via the cable 22. The signal is demodulated and reproduced to obtain a video and audio signal, which is sent to the optical transmission device 210 via the cable 22. The video selection control device 140 is connected to the optical transmission device 210 via the cable 23, and the cable 1
4 to the connection control common device W150.

A specific example of the video selection control device 140 is shown in FIG. The video selection control device 140 includes a CPU 41 and a memory 142.
, a tuner interface circuit 113, a common device interface circuit 144, a control signal receiving circuit 145, and a control signal transmitting circuit 146 are connected to each other by a common bus, and the control signal receiving circuit 145 and the control signal transmitting circuit 146 are connected to a 2-wire 4-wire conversion circuit 147. It is connected to the. The CPU 14-1 is
2-wire 4-wire conversion circuit 147 and control signal receiving circuit 145
deciphering a channel request signal and a signal confirming paid viewing sent from the terminal device 300 via
Transmission of control signals to terminal device 300 via control signal sending circuit 146 and 2-wire 4-wire conversion circuit 147, memory 1
42, writing information to the memory 142, instructing the tuner 130 to select a program channel via the chainer interface circuit 143, and controlling connection to the common device 150 via the common device interface circuit 144.
It decodes the management signal sent from the common device interface circuit 144 and transmits the billing signal via the common device interface circuit 144.

In FIG. 1, a transmission path 200 is composed of an optical transmission device 210, an optical cable 21, and an optical line termination device 220. The optical transmission device 210 receives video and audio signals sent via the cable 22 and signals sent via the cable 23 (
After multiplexing the control signals, the control signal is electrical-to-optical converted and sent to the optical cable 21, and the optical signal sent through the optical cable 21 is converted to optical-electrical and sent to the cable 23. The optical line termination device 220 performs optical-to-electrical conversion on the optical signal sent via the optical cable 21, performs demodulation processing, separates it into a video and audio signal and a control signal, and sends the video and audio signal to the cable 33. , sends a control signal to cable 34. Further, the optical line termination device 220 converts control signals such as channel request signals sent via the cable 34 into electrical and optical signals and sends them to the optical cable 21 . Optical cable 2
Bidirectional transmission of multiplexed signals in No. 1 is realized by optical wavelength multiplexing or a combination of electrical frequency multiplexing and optical wavelength multiplexing.

The terminal device 300 includes a terminal control device 310 and a keypad 32
0, and a receiver 330. Terminal control device 310
and the receiver 330 are connected by a cable 31, and the terminal control bag W
310 and the key band 320 are connected by a cable 32. The keypad 320 of the terminal bag W300, as shown in its plan view in FIG. 3, includes an LED (light emitting diode) that indicates that a key has been pressed 321, and a power key that instructs to turn on and off the power. 322, a number key 323 for selecting a program, a reset key 324 for disabling the most recent pressing of a number key, the pressing of a program number by the number key is finished, and an instruction to send a channel request signal in response to the most recent pressing of a number key. It is equipped with a transmission key 325 for transmitting. Note that the receiver 330, the keypad 320, and the terminal control device 310 may be integrated or may be separate devices.

A specific example of the terminal control device 310 is shown in FIG.

The terminal control device 310 consists of a network control section 311 and an input/output device control section 312, and the network control section 311 includes an equivalent circuit 313 that equalizes the received signal in proportion to the length of the cable 33;
It is comprised of a processing circuit 314 that manages human output of control signals, and a signal interface circuit 315 that performs synchronization management for signal transmission over the cable 34 and transmission and reception of control signals.

The input/output device control section 312 includes a clamp circuit 316, an LPF circuit 317 that demodulates only the video signal from the video and audio signals,
It is composed of a multiplex audio demodulation circuit 318 that demodulates only audio signals from video and audio signals, a key signal reception circuit 319 that receives key press signals sent from the keypad 320 via the cable 32, and a serial/parallel conversion circuit 320. .

The memory 142 in FIG. 2 includes a terminal device number area 142a and a channel buffer area 142 as shown in FIG.
n program information areas 142C are provided to indicate the operation type for each number channel. n is information sending device 17
0 and the guide screen sending device 160 to the VHF converting device 11
This is the total number of video and audio signals input to 0. memory 14
The second channel buffer area 142b is an area in which the program number indicated by the channel request signal sent from the terminal device 300 is written, and the contents can be held until the next channel request signal is written. The program information area 142c of the memory 142 is an area for writing whether or not the program with the number is a subscriber viewing program.
Retains content until rewritten.

The operation of the subscriber viewing program distribution system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 6 as well. According to this example,
As described below, it is possible to provide a service in which a program channel open to the public that can be viewed by any user and a program channel for subscriber viewing that can only be viewed by subscribers can be mixed.

To receive a program, first press the power key 332 provided on the keypad 320 of the terminal device 300. The pressing of the power key 332 of the key band is transmitted as a signal to the processing circuit 314 of the terminal control device 310 due to the configuration and operation of the terminal control device 310 described above.
14 to signal interface circuit 315, cable 34
, the transmission line 200, and the cable 23, the signal is sent to the video selection control device 140 as an image reception start signal.

The video selection control device 140 transmits a transmission instruction signal to the tuner 130 via the cable 13, instructing the tuner 130 to transmit the video and audio signal of the program corresponding to the channel number in the channel buffer area 142b of the memo IJ 142.

At this time, immediately after reading the number (channel) of the channel buffer area 142b of the memory 142, the CPU 141 of the video selection control device 140 reads the read number (
program information area 14 of the memory 142 corresponding to
2c is read out, and it is determined whether the channel is a program open to the public or a program viewed by a subscriber.If the channel is a program open to the general public, a transmission instruction signal for that channel number is transmitted to the tuner 130, and if it is a program viewed by a subscriber, it will be described later. The process moves to the procedure for determining whether or not the contracted viewing program can be transmitted at the time of channel request. In this example, if the information program read from the program information area of the channel is a program open to the public, the video signal first sent by the tuner 130 is stored in the channel buffer of the memory 142 as described above. According to the operation, the video signal becomes the video signal of the last program selected during the previous viewing. The video and audio signals that the tuner 130 starts transmitting are sent to the optical transmission device 210 via the cable 22, and the optical transmission device 21
0, it is converted into electricity and optical power, transmitted through the optical cable 21, and sent to the optical line termination device 220.
The signal is converted electrically and transmitted through the cable 33, the terminal control device 310, and the cable 31, and then reproduced on the receiver 330.

After pressing the power key, press the number key 323 and send key 32 on the keypad to select the program you wish to view.
Press 5. At this time, the number key 323 is pressed multiple times depending on the number of digits of the number of the program desired to be viewed. When the number key 323 and transmission key 325 of the keypad are pressed, a key press signal is transmitted to the processing circuit 314 of the terminal control device 310, and the processing circuit 314 converts the key press signal into a channel request signal and sends the signal via the signal interface circuit 315. and sends it out to the cable 34. The channel request signal is transmitted to the video selection control device 140 via the transmission line 200 and the cable 23. CP of video selection control device
U141 decodes the channel request signal, writes the number of the requested program (channel number) in the channel buffer area 142b of the memory 142, and corresponds to the requested program number in the program information area 142c of the memory 142. The area is read and it is determined whether the requested program is a program open to the general public or a program viewed by subscribers. When the requested program is determined to be a subscriber viewing program, the CPU 41 reads the terminal device number already written in the terminal device number area 142a of the memory 142 and the requested program number in the channel buffer area 142b. Read out the connection control common bag! 15
Transfer to 0. Connection control common bag [150] has a file that describes the contract status of each channel number corresponding to each user's terminal device number, and by referring to this file, the requested program channel number can be determined. It is determined whether or not to transmit the image, and the result is transferred to the video selection control device 140.

If the determination result is yes, the CPU 141 reads the channel buffer area 142b in the memory 142 and sends a switching instruction signal indicating the read program number (channel number) to the tuner 130 via the tuner interface circuit 143. do.

If the connection control common device 150 makes a negative determination,
The CPU 141 of the video selection control device 140 transmits a switching instruction signal instructing a preset specific program number (channel number) to the tuner 130 via the tuner interface circuit 143. The video and audio signals corresponding to the specific program number are sent from the guide screen sending device 160 to the VH
It is input to the F converter 110, and further the cable 11 VH
F distribution device 120, tuner 130 via cable 12
This signal is input to the guide screen sending device 160.
sends out a screen as a video and audio signal announcing that the requested program is a service available only to users who have subscribed in advance.

In the above-described embodiment, the video selection control device 140 only receives control signals such as a video reception start signal and a channel request signal from the terminal control device 310, but does not transmit any control signals. Control signals can also be sent out.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, in the system of the present invention, when viewing a program for a contracted viewer, the decision whether or not to transmit the program is made entirely by the center device based on the user's terminal device number.
There is an advantage that there is no need to go to the user's house to change the contract details, which requires less labor, and that unauthorized use is prevented.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the subscriber viewing program distribution system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the video selection control device 140 of the center control device in FIG. 1. 3 is a plan view showing a specific example of the keypad 320 of the terminal device, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the terminal control device 310 of the terminal device, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a specific example of the terminal control device 310 of the terminal device. Diagram showing each storage area, No. 6
The figure is a diagram showing a procedure for receiving a subscriber viewing program in the subscriber viewing program distribution system according to the present invention. 100... Center control device, 200... Transmission line, 3
00...Terminal device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Among a large number of terminal devices that receive video programs and a large number of video programs that include a mixture of programs open to the public and programs viewed by subscribers, the video program on the channel specified by the channel request signal sent from the terminal device. A center control device that selects a video program and sends the video program to that terminal device, and a center control device that transmits control signals such as channel request signals sent from the terminal device between the center control device and each terminal device. In the video distribution system, the center control device transmits a video signal selected by the center control device to the terminal device, and a two-way transmission path that transmits the video signal selected by the center control device to the terminal device. A system for distributing programs viewed by a subscriber, comprising means for transmitting a program viewed by the subscriber if the terminal device has registered a contract for the program viewed by the subscriber when a request signal is received.