JPH02199978A - Charged program distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent charging due to mis-operation by providing a no-charge viewing time displaying all charged programs of a charged program group on split screens simultaneously upon the receipt of a channel request signal of the charged program group at the center side. CONSTITUTION:A video selection controller 120 decodes a channel request signal and discriminates whether the channel number is a charged program or a no-charge program. When the program of the channel number is the charged program after a prescribed time by using the timing of a timer, a switching command signal to a specific channel number, representing that the sent video program group is the changed program, is sent to a switch 130 to display the guide pattern of the charged programs. In order to view a desired program in the video program group with a charge, a key pad 320 depresses the desired program number. The video selection collector 120 starts the charging processing just after the reception of the charged program number.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a pay program distribution (service) system in a video distribution system such as CATV (cable television),
In particular, it relates to a selection method when selecting a pay program.

[Conventional technology]

A method of providing paid programs on a video distribution system such as CATV is to make one paid program correspond to one channel, and when that channel is selected, the program is watched for free for a certain period of time, and then a paid program information screen is displayed. There was a way to show them and let them choose.

With this method, you will not suddenly select a paid program when selecting a channel, but will be charged after viewing the paid program guide screen, so you will not be charged for undesired viewing, but you will not be charged for watching the program for free. If you do not wish to view paid programs after actually viewing them, you have to select a new channel and continue to select channels one after another and watch paid programs for free until the desired program appears.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a video distribution system having program selection means on the center control device side, in which when the center side receives a channel request signal for a pay program group, all programs in the pay program group are simultaneously selected. By setting a free viewing time to be displayed on a divided screen, and then receiving and charging a channel request signal for the pay program you wish to view, you can select the program you wish to view from all pay programs that can be selected. The information is clearly displayed at the front, and charges due to operational errors will not occur.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a center control device lO showing an embodiment of the present invention.
O and the terminal device 300 are connected via a transmission path 200.

The center control device 100 includes an information sending device 110, a video selection control device 120, a switch 130, and a video mixing device 140. The information sending device 110 is connected via a cable 11 to a switch 130 provided for each terminal device 300, and is connected via a cable 13 to a video mixing device 140. The switch 130 is connected to the optical transmission device 210 via the cable 22, and the cable 1
It is connected to a video selection control device 120 via a cable 14, and to a video mixing device 140 via a cable 14. The switch 130 connects the video selection control device 120 to the cable 12.
First, the channel corresponding to the channel request signal is mixed with the video signal sent from the information sending device 110 via the cable 11 and the video signal sent from the video mixing device 140 via the cable 14. The selected video signal is selected from among the received video signals and sent to the optical transmission device 210 via the cable 22. The video selection control device 120 connects to the optical transmission device 210 via the cable 23.
It is tied to The video selection control device 120 decodes a channel request signal sent from the terminal device 300, sends a control signal to the terminal device 300, and controls the cable 1.
The video mixing device 140 instructs the switch 130 to select a program channel via the switch 2 and performs billing processing.
The two channels are mixed on a split screen, and the mixed video is sent to the switch 130 via the cable 14.

The 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 multiplexes the video/audio signal sent via the cable 22 and the control signal sent via the cable 23, converts it into electricity/optical, and sends it to the optical cable 21. The optical signal sent through the cable is converted into an optical signal and sent to the cables 22 and 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 3.
3 and 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 . Bidirectional transmission of multiplexed signals in the optical cable 21 is realized by optical wavelength multiplexing or a combination of electrical frequency multiplexing and optical wavelength multiplexing.

The terminal device 300 includes a receiver 330, a keypad 320, and a terminal control device 310. The terminal control device 310 and the image receiver 330 are connected by a cable 31, and the terminal control device 310 and the keypad 320 are connected by a cable 32. In addition, the receiver 330 and the keypad 320,
The terminal control device 310 may be integrated or separate.Hereinafter, the pay program reception method and selection method according to this embodiment will be explained (also with reference to FIG. 2).

In this embodiment, as described below, it is possible to provide a service in which a program channel that can be viewed for free and a program channel that can be viewed for a fee can be mixed.

To receive pay programs, first turn on the power of the terminal device 300 using the keypad 320. This operation is cable 3
2. Terminal control device 310, cable 34, transmission line 200
, and is sent to the video selection control device 120 as an image reception start signal through the cable 23. Video selection control device 12
0 transmits to the switch 130 via the cable 12 an instruction signal for transmitting the video and audio signals of the program of the channel number (the last last requested program) held in the internal memory. Is there a video selection system for loading at this time? ]! 120 determines whether the program of the channel number held is a free program or a paid program, and if it is a free program, it transmits a transmission instruction signal of that channel number to the switch 130, and if it is a paid program, it transmits the transmission instruction signal of the channel number and
A transmission instruction signal for the channel number of a video mixed program that simultaneously displays each program of the llO pay program group in one screen is transmitted to the switch 130. A plurality of pay programs have one channel number in a group of pay programs, and when the channel number of the group of pay programs is selected, the channel number of each pay program can be selected next. Note that there may be a plurality of pay program groups.

After turning on the power, the user uses the keypad 320 to transmit the channel number to the terminal control device 310 via the cable 23 in order to select a desired program to view.

This signal is converted into a channel request signal by the terminal control device 310 and transmitted to the video selection control device 120 via the cable 34, transmission path 200, and cable 23. The video selection control device 120 decodes the channel request signal and determines whether the channel number of the channel request signal is a pay program or a free program. If the program of the requested channel number is a free program, the video signal of the free program of that channel number is transmitted to the switch 130.
From there, the signal passes through the cable 22, the transmission line 200, the cable 33, the terminal control device 310, and the cable 31, and is reproduced on the image receiving ta 330. Further, if the program of the channel number is a paid program, the video selection control device 120 sends a switching instruction to the video mixing device 140 to instruct a mixed split screen program of a group of paid programs sent via the cable 14. The signal is sent via cable 12 to switch 130. At this time, after a certain period of time (T1) according to the timing of the timer, the video selection control device 120 sends a switching instruction signal to the switch 130 to a specific channel number indicating that the video program group that has just been sent out is a paid program. Displays a screen with information about pay-to-play programs.

To view a desired program of this video program group for a fee, press the number of the desired program on the keypad 320. When the number of a paid program is pressed, the reproduced video on the receiver 330 becomes the requested paid program video from the paid announcement video, and the paid program video is displayed continuously, and when the number of the paid program is pressed, the video of the paid program is displayed continuously. If not, a paid announcement video will be displayed for a certain period of time and then the connection will be disconnected. The video selection control device 120 starts billing processing immediately after receiving the pay program number. The billing process of the video selection control device 120 can perform billing addition in proportion to the number of viewing times for each pay program number, or billing addition in proportion to the number of viewing hours of the pay program number. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the video selection control device 120 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. Terminal control! Control signals can also be sent to I device 310.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the system of the present invention, when viewing pay programs, all pay programs that can be selected can be viewed in one operation, and then the program to be viewed can be selected. Therefore, viewers have a wider range of options when selecting pay-to-view programs, and operations are easier.

Furthermore, since the paid programs included in the paid program group can be freely set, the operator has the advantage of being able to edit the program group by genre on the center control device side according to the usage history of the paid programs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a pay program distribution system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a pay program reception procedure in the pay program distribution system according to the present invention. Fang diagram

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A large number of terminal devices that receive video programs, and a video program of a channel specified by a channel request signal sent from the terminal device from among a large number of video programs that include a mixture of pay programs and free programs; A center control device that sends out the selected video program to that terminal device, and a connection between that center control device and each terminal device that transmits control signals such as channel request signals sent from that terminal device to the center control device. In addition, in a video distribution system comprising a bidirectional transmission path that transmits a video signal selected by the center control device to the terminal device, the center control device receives a channel request signal corresponding to a pay program group from the terminal device. When received, the video signals of all paid programs included in a group of paid programs are divided into one screen for free for a certain period of time, and each paid program is simultaneously sent to the terminal device, and the channel sent by the terminal device. A pay program distribution system characterized by transmitting a pay program on a channel specified by a request signal and charging for viewing the pay program.