CH647903A5 - Videotex system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for the transmission of visual information. Such systems are under the name of screen text systems in various telecommunications administrations in trial operation. The invention relates in particular to the editing and updating of information stored in the database of such a system.

To explain the basic equipment of a screen text system, FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of such a system.

In Fig. 1, a conventional telephone subscriber station 1 is not directly connected to a local exchange 4 but via a screen text modem 2 via a local line 3. A television receiver 5 and an input keyboard 6 are connected to the modem 2. The devices enclosed by a dashed line form subscriber equipment 7.

The local office 4 has access via a remote office 8 to a screen text computer 9, which in turn is connected to databases 10.

The traffic between the subscriber equipment 7 and the on-screen text computer 9 takes place with a transmission rate of 1200 Bd in the direction from the computer to the terminal equipment and with 75 Bd in the opposite direction. The data is transmitted as a code of two sound frequencies, one frequency representing a binary «0» and the other frequency representing a binary «1».

If the subscriber wishes to connect to the on-screen text computer, the outside line is on hold and a dialing device in the modem automatically dials the subscriber number of the computer. When the connection between the subscriber and the computer is established, a two-way connection is established and any desired page of information can be selected by suitable actuation of the keyboard.

The information in the database is supplied by so-called information providers who are connected to the database in the same way as a normal participant. To enter information into the database, i.e. In order to update already existing information or to correct errors, the information provider selects a special editorial number and the new information is entered into the database via the telephone line.

The screen text system will be financed, at least in part, by fees that are charged for each call via the subscriber line. It can therefore be assumed that if an information provider stores the information in a database at regular intervals, e.g. daily or even more frequently, the call charges become very high.

It is an object of the invention to help an information provider to change the information in a database more quickly in order to reduce the total time during which the subscriber line is switched on.

This object is achieved by the features mentioned in the characterizing part of the first claim. In the second mode of operation, the subscriber can thus transmit the text which is stored in the subscriber's memory via the telephone line to the 75 Bd database in order to renew the information, the time-consuming task of forming a new text page during the first mode of operation when the telephone line is switched off is carried out. Furthermore, a page retrieved from the database can be stored in another 1200 Bd mode of operation, and it is therefore possible to study a page of text in peace while the phone line is off and then edit it if desired.

An embodiment of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows:

2 shows a block diagram of a screen text system with intermediate equipment according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a detailed block diagram of the intermediate equipment according to FIG. 2.

2, a screen text terminal equipment 11 has a home television receiver 12 with a screen text decoder (not shown), which is connected to a keyboard 13 and to a telephone line 15 via a screen text modem 14 containing the automatic dialer. In the connection between the modem 14 and the terminal equipment 11, editorial equipment 16 for editing up to 4 pages of text is introduced. The device 16 has a microprocessor 17, a semiconductor memory 18, a keypad 19 and a non-volatile memory 20, e.g. a common one

5

io

15

20th

25th

30th

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

3rd

647 903

Tape recorder. The keypad has ten keys in the form shown.

The actuation of the first key N causes normal screen text operation, so that a direct information exchange connection is established between the remote computer and the terminal equipment 11.

The key E causes the data connection to the modem to be interrupted and the device 16 to be activated in order to emulate the remote computer in a first operating mode insofar as this relates to the editing of information, the change in information and the visual display of operating instructions with the aid of a set of instructions which are permanently written into the program memory of the microprocessor 17 and are displayed on the screen of the terminal equipment 11 in order to display and list the various options which can be called up via the keypad 13. The establishment and the interruption of the connection to the remote computer takes place under the control of the terminal equipment and not the device 16. The microprocessor 17 is therefore continuously programmed to react to the possibilities which can be called up via the editorial keyboard 13, which keyboard is shown in the figure Example with keys labeled K6 to K6. E.g. the Kl key can enable the user to edit a page,

an entire text page stored in memory and displayed on the screen can be systematically edited, e.g. Correct mistakes or update the information or simply to start over and create a completely new page of text. When the text is created or changed, this new information is stored in memory.

The second key K2 calls up a page, still in the first operating mode. Thus, if memory 18 contains four pages of text, each can be accessed and displayed on the screen. Subsequent actuation of the Kl key makes it possible to edit the page accessed.

After all the stored pages have been edited, the device can be switched to a second operating mode by pressing one of the wide keys c, d, e and f of the keypad 19 when the computer is switched on, in order to transmit the edited and stored pages. Pressing the N key followed by pressing the call button (s) causes the automatic dialer to call the on-screen text computer 9. Then, by pressing the further key on the keyboard 13, the computer can be made ready to receive a data page which is transmitted by pressing the c, d, e or f key on the keyboard 19, depending on which page is to be transmitted . The storage capacity in the memory 18 could of course also be larger or smaller and the four pages of text mentioned are only an example.

By pressing E on the keyboard 19 it is possible to return to the first operating mode and the other possibilities mentioned above can be used. The key K3 on the keyboard 13 causes the device to assume a third operating mode and to store any page on the data recorder 20. This may have been called up and not changed, or it may have been edited or it may be a newly created text page.

The actuation of a fourth key K4 on the keyboard 13 instructs the device to adopt a fourth operating mode in which a page previously stored in the data recorder 20 is written into the memory 18. If desired, this page can be edited or submitted as described above.

A fifth key K5 instructs the device 16 to adopt a fifth operating mode in which it interacts with the on-screen text computer 9. When the on-screen text calculator is instructed, a specific data page to the EndG

equipment, then pressing one of the other keys g, h, i, j on the keyboard 19 causes the computer to transfer the desired page to the memory 18. This may actually be the first requirement of the setup, unless the same text pages are already stored in the data recorder. The device can thus respond to the on-screen text equipment in a manner similar to the way in which the on-screen text computer would react, except that the telephone line is not needed for most of the time.

The following is a typical example of the use of the facility for an information provider that has four pages of text stored in the database containing results of races, with the information provider updating one of the pages at 2:35 p.m. regarding the results of the race of 2.30 p.m. First, if he has already saved the existing text page either in memory 18 or on the tape, he presses key E of keypad 19, which enables the terminal equipment to interact with the device. Then he presses key K2 to call up the desired page,

then key Kl and then he edits the page now shown on the screen. When this is done, he presses the N key to access the modem and dials the number of the remote computer. When the computer is switched on and instructed to record and store the new information, the user actuates e.g. Key c on the keypad 19 so that the new page with 75 Bd is automatically transferred and saved in the remote computer. Pressing the N key on the keypad resumes the normal on-screen text connection or the device can be designed so that a normal or direct connection is automatically established when the new page has been transferred to the database. However, a light indicator could also be arranged on the device, which indicates that the page stored in the database is correct. Otherwise, the user may wish to check the end result and would remain on the line to check that particular page whether it is now properly stored in database 10.

3 shows the device 16 in more detail. It has a central computer unit 21 with a first set of input / output ports 22 for connection to the decoder of the television receiver and a second set of input / output ports 23 for connection with the modem 14. The central computer unit 21 is connected to a memory adaptation unit 24. This is connected to the memory 18 via eight data and sixteen address read / write lines 25.

A program storage unit 26 is connected to the memory adapter unit 24 via sixteen address lines and eight data lines. The program storage unit advantageously consists of an electronically programmed read-only memory, but a ROM or PROM can also be used.

Summary

In order to keep the connection time to the remote screen text computer short for an information provider of a screen text system, editorial equipment (16) is provided between the subscriber terminal equipment (11) with screen (12) and the associated modem (14), which includes a microprocessor (17) , contains a memory (18), a keypad (19) and a tape memory (20) and simulates the remote computer for certain purposes, ie there is no need to be connected to a text page while it is being edited or corrected. Finished pages can be sent at the maximum permissible transfer rate.

2 sheets of drawings

5

10th

15

20th

25th

30th

35

40

45

50

55

> 0

65

Claims (5)

647 903 2nd PATENT CLAIMS 1. Screen text system with an intermediate equipment (16) inserted between a subscriber terminal equipment (11) with a screen (12) and a telephone subscriber line (15), the end equipment being an editorial keyboard (13) for controlling access to the system and editing of text or data and can write information into the database of the system via the telephone subscriber line, characterized in that the intermediate equipment (16) has a memory (18) for storing at least one page of text, further logic circuits (17) and a key set (19) for controlling the memory and the logic circuits, the intermediate equipment having a first operating mode which can be selected by the key set, in which it simulates the remote computer (9) and in which the user uses the editorial keyboard (13 ) one page of text can be written into memory, and another one can be written using the key set has a selectable operating mode in which the information contained in the memory is automatically transmitted via the telephone subscriber line (15) to the database (10) for storage. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the memory (18) is a volatile memory, and that the intermediate equipment (16) has a data recording device with a tape-like or disk-shaped storage medium or another non-volatile memory or is designed for the connection to such a memory, and that it has a third mode of operation under the control of the terminal equipment (11), in which the information written in the volatile memory (18) during the first mode of operation is also stored in the data recorder, and that it has a fourth mode of operation under control of the terminal equipment in which the information in the recorder (20) can be written into the volatile memory (18). 3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a fifth operating mode which can be selected by the button set (19), in which the intermediate equipment (16) has a direct connection for information transmission between the terminal equipment (11) and the telephone subscriber line ( 15) produces. 4. Installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the volatile memory (18) can hold a plurality of text pages, and that the key set (19) has a separate key for each text page, the corresponding text page being actuated via the telephone after pressing such a key. Subscriber line (15) to the database (10) is transmitted. 5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that it has a sixth operating mode selectable by the key set (19), in which the non-volatile memory (20) stores information from the remote computer (9) which is requested by the terminal equipment (11) has been.