JPH048995B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a CATV system, in which an operation unit that is a part of a terminal device can be changed to various types,
The present invention relates to a CATV system in which a specific function or all of the functions of the terminal device can be selected and used by selecting the operation unit and connecting it to the terminal device.

Conventionally, terminal devices in a CATV system have been designed with their functions integrated, and terminal devices with different functions have been operated individually. Therefore, it is necessary to design the hardware and software of the terminal device according to the required functions, which takes time and requires 1.
The price of each terminal device became high, and there was also the disadvantage that terminal devices used in different CATV systems were not compatible. In addition, as the functions of terminal devices tend to increase in recent years,
Not only is the operation complicated, but the number of operational errors is also increasing.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention aims to improve operability, and also provides a plurality of types of operation units that are part of the terminal device, and enables connection by selecting any of the plurality of types of operation units. so that a specific function or all functions of the terminal device can be selected and used,
To provide a CATV system whose functions can be easily changed without changing individual terminal devices according to the scale and purpose of the CATV system.

First, an overview of the CATV system will be explained with reference to FIG.

Figure 1 shows the entire CATV system. This system consists of one center 1 and terminal devices 28 installed in tens of thousands of households 2, and the center 1 and the terminal devices 28 in each household 2 are connected by coaxial cables. A dry line cable 3 is pulled out from the center 1, and a dry line amplifier 4 is installed at a predetermined location on the dry line cable 3.
A turnout 5 is provided. A plurality of branch cables 6 are drawn out from this branch 5, and each branch cable 6 is provided with an extension amplifier 7 and a tap-off 8 at predetermined locations. A plurality of branch cables 9 are drawn out from each tap-off 8, and the ends of each branch cable 9 are drawn into each home 2, respectively. The terminal device 28 in each home 2 is composed of a main box 10, a television receiver 11, and a control box 12 which is an operation section.
The terminal end of the main box 10 is connected to the main box 10, and the television receiver 11 and the control box 12 are each connected to the main box 10. In other words, center 1 and each household 2 are arranged like a Christmas tree.
The terminal devices 28 are segmented and connected.

A receiving antenna 13 is erected outside the center 1, and the receiving antenna 13 is connected to a demodulator 15 in a source group 14. This source group 14 includes a video disc player 16,
There are a videotape recorder 17, a studio 18, etc. The modulation sending section 19 that receives signals from the source group 14 consists of two types of systems: one system includes an IF modulation circuit 20, a scramble circuit 21, and an up-converter circuit 22, and the other system includes an IF modulation circuit 23 and an up-converter circuit 24. The outputs of the up converter circuits 22 and 24 are connected to the dry wire cable 3, respectively. Further, a data transmitter/receiver 25 for communicating with each main box 10 is connected to the dry wire cable 3, and a computer 26 is connected to the data transmitter/receiver 25. A device 27 is connected.

Next, the operation of this CATV system will be explained.
By turning on the television receiver 11 and operating the control box 12 to select a desired channel, the main box 10 converts the frequency of the channel to be received into an empty channel that is not on air and transmits it to the receiver 11. supply
The types of channels that can be selected in the control box 12 can be divided into groups such as (A) retransmission that receives TV waves as they are, (B) independent programs (free of charge), and (C) paid numbers. It has several channels to more than a dozen channels, and a total of about several dozen channels can be selected.

(A) Retransmission The television radio waves received by the reception antenna 13 are demodulated once by the demodulator 15 and output to the modulation transmitter 19. Then, it is modulated by the IF modulation circuit 23, and the modulated signal is increased to a specific frequency by the up converter circuit 24. This modulated signal positioned on a specific channel is transmitted to the home 2 via the dry line cable 3, branch cable 6, and branch cable 9, and is received by the television receiver 11 via the terminal device 28.

(B) Independent programs These are weather forecasts, news programs, etc., and the video disc player 16 and video tape recorder 17
Recorded programs by the IF modulator circuit 23 and live programs produced in the studio 18 are modulated by an IF modulator circuit 23 and an up converter circuit 24, frequency-converted to a specific channel, and transmitted to the dry line cable 3. This program is free of charge regardless of the number of times it is viewed or the length of time, and each household 2 can watch it for a basic monthly fee.

(C) Paid programs These are new movies, specific programs, etc. Programs recorded by the video disc player 16 and video tape recorder 17, and live programs produced in the studio 18 are modulated by the IF modulator circuit 20 and are also sent to the scramble circuit. 21, a specific synchronization signal is added to the image signal so that it does not become a normal image even if the image is received as is. Next, the up converter circuit 22 increases the frequency to the frequency of a specific channel and sends it to the dry line cable 3. When each household 2 wants to receive this pay program, the signal sent in the main box 10 is demodulated into a normal image signal and transmitted to the television receiver 11, so that it can be viewed on a normal screen. When this pay program is received, a preset fee is calculated and the monthly basic usage fee plus the special usage fee is charged.

The center 1 and the terminal devices 28 of each home 2 are connected by a coaxial cable, but unless you know which home 2 is receiving which channel at a particular time, it is difficult to distinguish between paid programs and free programs. Therefore, fair operation of the CATV system cannot be expected. For this purpose, the data transmitter 25 sends out a search signal at regular intervals, calls the main box 10 of each terminal device 28 with its individual address number, and determines which channel is being received during the search. We perform so-called polling to see if there are any. Therefore, the main box 10 outputs a response indicating which channel is being received at that time, and sends it to the data transmitter/receiver 25. The data received by the data transmitter/receiver 25 is sent to the computer 2.
The data is processed by the computer 6 and displayed or printed by the peripheral device 27. Since this polling is performed at regular intervals (every several to several tens of seconds), viewer ratings and the like can be immediately compiled.

Furthermore, some programs involve viewer participation, and the viewer can respond to questions in the program while viewing the television receiver 11 by operating the control box 12, and the response content (data) is sent to center 1 by a coaxial cable.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the terminal device 28 of the present invention, in which the branch cable 9 is connected to a converter section 31 via a branch 30 in the main box 10, and the output of the converter section 31 is It is connected to the receiver 11. A turnout 32 is connected to the turnout 30, and a data transmission section 33 and a data reception section 34 are connected to the turnout 32, and both the data transmission section 33 and the data reception section 34 are connected to a control section. It is connected to 35. This control section 35
The output of is connected to the converter section 31, and the control section 35 is connected to an address setting section 36 which is a number unique to the terminal device 28. Further, the main box 10 is provided with a connector 37.
This connector 37 and the control section 35 are connected,
A plug 3 that can be electrically connected to and disconnected from this connector 37
A control box 12 is connected to 8. In addition to this, other types of control boxes 12A, 12B, 12C are prepared, and these control boxes 12A, 12B, 1
2C is connected to plugs 38A, 38B, and 38C, respectively.
is a standard that allows the connector 37 to be freely selected and connected to and separated from the connector 37.

FIG. 3 shows the operation surface of the control box 12.
A channel table 46 with 3 vertical columns and 7 horizontal columns is provided in the center of the screen, and programs from 21 channels can be selected from this channel table 46. Seven channel selection buttons 47 are provided in a row on the left side of the channel table 46, and group selection buttons 48 are provided in a horizontal row below the channel table 46. By using the channel selection button 47 and group selection button 48 in combination, one of the specific channels in the channel table 46 can be selected. Group selection button 48 A
is a retransmission, and B is an independent program. In addition, on the right side of the channel table 46, there are five response buttons 4 in a vertical line.
9 are provided, and a corresponding lamp 50 is provided on the left side of each response button 49. This type of control box 12 has standard functions.

Next, this type of control box 12
Connect the plug 38 of the main box 10 to the connector 3 of the main box 10.
The effect when connected to 7 will be explained.

When one channel is selected from the channel table 46 by combining the channel selection button 47 and the group selection button 48 described above, the signal is transmitted to the control section 35 via the plug 38 and the connector 37, and the control section 35 specifies the The converter unit 31 is controlled to tune to the channel of the receiver 11.
This allows you to receive programs on that channel. During polling, the data receiving section 34 receives the polling signal, and the control section 35 receives the polling signal.
the main box 10 which has been set in advance in the address setting section 36 and the calling address number.
When the address numbers match, the control unit 35 transmits a signal indicating which channel is being received to the data transmitting unit 33, and the data transmitting unit 33 transmits the signal to the center 1 via the branch cable 9. Also,
When a viewer responds to a question, etc. during a program by pressing a response button 49, data on which response button 49 is pressed is collected by the control unit 35 during polling. It is sent to the center 1 from the transmitter 33. Confirmation that the response button 49 has been pressed is displayed by lighting the lamp 50. Since an address number is set in this address setting section 36, the function of the terminal device 28 is registered in the center 1, so the control box 1 in this case
2 has the functions of retransmission, reception of independent programs and pay programs, and response by viewers.

FIG. 4 shows the operation surface of the second control box 12A, which is different from the one in FIG.
A row channel table 51 is provided, and on the left side of this channel table 51, channel selection buttons 52 are provided in a vertical column.

Plug 38 of this control box 12A
When the control box 12A is connected to the socket 37 of the main box 10 and operated, the control box 12A can select only channels CH1 to CH7 for retransmission, and has no other functions.

FIG. 5 shows the operation surface of the third control box 12B. In the left half of the control box 12B, a channel table 53 of 2 columns and 7 rows is provided. Seven channel selection buttons 55 are provided in one row, and two horizontal rows are provided below the channel table 53.
Group selection buttons 56 are provided. Among these group selection buttons 56, A is for retransmission, and B is for independent programs.By combining the channel selection button 55 and group selection button 56, one channel can be selected from the channel table 53. . A ten-key keyboard 57 is provided in the lower right half of the control box 12B, and a mode selection button 58 is provided above the keyboard 57.

Plug 38 of this control box 12B
When used by connecting B to the connector 37 of the main box 10, in addition to retransmission and reception of independent programs,
By using the mode selection button 58 and the keyboard 57, various calculations are possible. In this case, various programs built in the center 1 can be selected using the mode selection button 58 and displayed on the receiver 11, and specific numerical values can be entered using the keyboard 57 according to the procedure of the program, allowing various scientific calculations to be performed. , it will have the ability to analyze high-level mathematics.

FIG. 6 shows the operation surface of the fourth control box 12C, and the right half of the control box 12C includes the channel table 59, channel selection button 60, and group selection button 6.
1 is provided, and this channel selection button 6
By combining 0 and the group selection button 61, channels for retransmission, independent programs, and paid programs can be selected. Also, control box 1
A typewriter type keyboard 62 is provided at the lower left side of 2C, and a mode selection button 63 is provided above this keyboard 62.

Plug 38 of this control box 12C
When C is connected to the connector 37 of the main box 10, in addition to the above-mentioned functions of retransmission, receiving independent programs, and paid programs, the function of performing various data communications using the keyboard 62 can be added. become. In this case, the mode selection button 63 is selected to set the mode, and character and graphic data can be mutually communicated between the center 1 and the terminal device 28 using the keyboard 62. It can be displayed visually by using it as a .

Since the present invention is configured as described above, each CATV
It is possible to change the functions of a terminal device by changing only the operation panel of the terminal device, without having to develop and configure the terminal device each time according to the scale and purpose of the system. of
Can be used in CATV systems. Then,
Terminal devices can be standardized, and manufacturing costs can be reduced through mass production.
In addition, by selecting an operation panel with only frequently used functions and connecting it to the terminal device, the number of function keys is visually minimized, which simplifies operation and prevents mistakes in operation. Since this also reduces the amount of noise as much as possible, it is possible to improve operability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the CATV system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a terminal device showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 to 6 are plan views showing control boxes used in this embodiment. 1... Center, 3, 6, 9... Cable, 11...
Television receiver, 28...Terminal device, 39, 40, 4
1, 42...Control box as an operation section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The center and each terminal device are connected
In the CATV system, the center side is provided with a modulation sending means for sending out information including various programs, each of the terminal devices is provided with a selection function key for selecting at least the information, and each of the terminal devices is provided with a selection function key for selecting at least the information. A plurality of types of operation sections are provided that are removable from the device and have at least one operation key for operating a common function, and the operation section that allows selection of the necessary information is provided on the terminal. A CATV system connected to a device and receiving information from the center.