JP2000354236A - Information transmission system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information transmission system capable of attaining the expedited transmission of individual information. SOLUTION: This information transmission system that transmits common information and individual information of a pay broadcast is provided with an individual information generator 20 that generates individual information S20 including transmission frequency information on the basis of contract information S7 between a transmitter side system of a broadcast supply side and each reception terminal, and an individual information repeater 22 that manages a transmission interval and/or number of times of transmission of the individual information S20 depending on transmission frequency information included in the individual information S20 to set transmission of the individual information S2 for a prescribed period. Thus, the expedited transmission of the individual information can be attained on the basis of its urgent state, thereby coping with a claim countermeasure at each reception terminal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention is applied to, for example, transmission of individual information in a pay broadcasting system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a pay broadcasting system in which a pay program transmitted from a broadcasting side is individually viewed on a receiving side.
In such a pay broadcasting system, individual information on the receiving side is individually transmitted to the receiving terminals on each receiving side.

[0003]

However, the frequency of transmitting the individual information on the receiving side in the above-mentioned conventional pay broadcasting system has only a single fixed pattern, so that even if a trouble or the like occurs on the broadcasting side or the receiving side, measures can be taken. Information cannot be transmitted prior to program information or the like, and therefore, there has been a problem that troubles and complaints from customers on the receiving side cannot be promptly dealt with.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to propose an information transmission system that enables preferential transmission of individual information.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the information transmission system of the present invention is constituted by the following means, and according to the present invention, the following operations are performed.

The information transmission system of the present invention is applied to an information transmission system for transmitting common information and individual information in pay broadcasting. In particular, an individual information generation unit that generates individual information including transmission frequency information from contract information between the broadcast supply side and each receiving terminal based on the viewing information at each receiving terminal, An individual information transmission cycle setting unit that manages the transmission interval and / or the number of transmissions of the individual information and sets the transmission of the individual information at a predetermined cycle.

[0007] This makes it possible to manage the transmission interval and the number of transmissions of the individual information based on the transmission frequency information, and to perform the priority transmission of the individual information, thereby avoiding troubles and complaints from customers on the receiving side. To respond quickly.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The information transmission system according to the present embodiment provides a priority order to individual information from a broadcast supply side in a pay broadcasting system, thereby enabling management of the transmission interval and the number of times of transmission of individual information, as well as receiving from a customer on the reception side. It is possible to respond quickly to troubles and complaints.

A method for managing individual information in the information transmission system according to the present embodiment will be described below. First,
The viewing control in the pay broadcast system will be described.
FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of a transmission system mainly in a pay broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 mainly shows a part related to the viewing control of the transmission side system. In an actual system, in FIG. 1, an error correction coding unit, a modulator, and other devices related to transmission are provided at a stage subsequent to the scrambler 3 in the transmission-side system 10, but description thereof will be omitted here.

First, the configuration of the transmitting side system 10 of the pay broadcasting system according to the present embodiment will be described. The transmitting side system 10 of the pay broadcasting system according to the present embodiment includes an encoder 1 that digitizes and compresses a video signal and an audio signal.
And a multiplexer 2 for time-division multiplexing a plurality of encoder outputs and a plurality of control information, and a scrambler 3 for scrambling the digital signal S0 with a scramble key S4.

Further, the transmitting side system 10 of the pay broadcasting system according to the present embodiment transmits the related information transmitting device 4 for encrypting the scramble key S4 using the work key S6 and the encoder 1 according to the program using the control signal S1. A controlling program control system 5, a scrambling control system 6 for generating individual information from the contract information S7,
And a viewing information collection processing system 7 that processes viewing information S8 that is uplinked from and a contract request from a viewer.

The receiving terminal 11 decodes the scrambled received signal transmitted via the transmission line 12 to extract the common information S3 and the individual information S2, and the decoder 8 extracts the common information S3 and the individual information S2. Viewing control S for unlocking the scramble key in decoder 8 based on
11 and a security module 9 for generating the viewing information S12.

The transmitting side system 10 of the pay broadcasting system according to the present embodiment configured as described above operates as follows. In FIG. 1, an encoder 1 of a transmitting side system 10 of a pay broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device for digitizing a video signal or an audio signal by a control signal S1 and performing compression processing. This is a device for time-division multiplexing the encoder output and a plurality of pieces of control information.
The scrambler 3 scrambles the digital signal S0 using the scramble key S4. At this time, individual information S
2. Since the common information S3 is information for control, the processing of the scrambler 3 is controlled so as not to be scrambled.

The individual information S2 is sent to the individual receiving terminal 11, and the common information S3 is information accompanying the program and is a signal commonly sent to the program receiver. The scramble key S4 is
Encrypted by the related information transmitting device 4 using the work key S6,
It is transmitted as a part of the common information S3. Work key S6
Is stored for all the receiving terminals 11 in the scramble control system 6 using the individual key unique to the receiving terminal 11.

The viewing information collection processing system 7 processes the viewing information S8 uplinked from a number of receiving terminals 11 and contract requests from viewers, and passes the contract information S7 to the scramble control system 6. The program control system 5 controls the encoder 1 according to the program by the control signal S1. Further, a program number S5 and the like are generated and passed to the related information transmitting device 4.

FIG. 2 is a principle diagram of the scramble control system according to the present embodiment. First, the configuration of the scramble control system according to the present embodiment will be described. The scramble control system according to the present embodiment includes an individual information generation device 20 that generates individual information S20 from contract information S7, and a security management device 24 that generates security information S22.
And an individual information encryption device 21 for encrypting the individual information S20 based on the security information S22, and an individual information repeat device 22 for storing the encrypted individual information S21 and sending it at a predetermined period. You.

In FIG. 2, contract information S 7 is passed from viewing information processing system 7 to individual information generating device 20. The individual information encryption device 21 receives the individual information S20 from the individual information generation device 20, and receives the security information S22 from the security management device 24. Thereafter, the encrypted individual information S21 is stored in the individual information repeater 22, and is sent out to the multiplexer 2 as individual information S2 at a predetermined cycle.

In the individual information generating device 20,
The individual information S20 is obtained by adding a predetermined flag to the contract information S7, and serves as a key for unlocking the individual information by a predetermined IC card inserted for each receiving terminal 11, and includes key individual information EMM (Entitlement Management).
element Message).

Further, the individual information generating device 20 obtains individual information including transmission frequency information from contract information S8 between the transmitting system 10 on the broadcast supply side and each receiving terminal 11 based on the viewing information S8 at each receiving terminal 11. The individual information generation unit that generates S20 is configured.

The individual information repeater 22 manages the transmission interval and / or the number of transmissions of the individual information S2 based on the transmission frequency information included in the individual information S20.
An individual information transmission cycle setting unit that sets transmission of the individual information S2 at a predetermined cycle is configured.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the individual information of the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the individual information S20 includes an individual information header 30 indicating that the information is individual information, an individual information management number 31 of a serial number for each type of individual information, and a transmission cycle and A data transmission frequency 32 indicating a plurality of levels according to the transmission frequency, and other individual information 33 indicating a contract content are included.

Here, the individual information header 30, the individual information management number 31, and the data transmission frequency 32 correspond to the transmission interval of the individual information S2 in the individual information repeater 22 and / or
Alternatively, it is used for managing the number of transmissions, and other individual information 33
Is transmitted as individual information S2.

FIG. 4 is an image diagram of the individual information database of the present embodiment. The individual information database shown in FIG. 4 is provided in the individual information repeater 22 shown in FIG. 2, stores the individual information S2, and is used for managing the transmission interval and / or the number of transmissions of the individual information S2.

In FIG. 4, a transmission frequency priority A data storage area 34 is an area having the highest transmission frequency, a transmission frequency priority B data storage area 35 is an area having the second highest transmission frequency, and transmission frequency priority C data. The storage area 36 is an area having the third highest transmission frequency, and the data 37 for checking the database circulation by transmission frequency is arranged at the end of each area.

Here, the urgency of the transmission is determined in accordance with the transmission cycle which is the transmission frequency information of the individual information shown in FIG. 3 and the data transmission frequency 32 which indicates a plurality of levels corresponding to the transmission frequency. The individual information is separately stored in the transmission frequency priority A data storage area 34, the transmission frequency priority B data storage area 35, and the transmission frequency priority C data storage area 36.

For example, each area stores individual information for up to several weeks, and can be rewritten and deleted, and is overwritten and erased in order from the oldest data. Each area is rewritten every time, for example, to respond to a claim, and the individual information that needs the most urgent transmission is the transmission frequency priority A.
Individual information that is stored in the data storage area 34 and rewritten every two weeks, such as temporary registration, is stored in the transmission frequency priority B data storage area 35. Individual information that needs to be rewritten only when a change occurs, such as main registration, The data may be stored in the transmission frequency priority C data storage area 36.

A specific example of the individual information priority transmission method will be described below. [1] Reception of Individual Information The individual information generated by the individual information generation device 20 includes the data transmission frequency information 32, and is stored in the database of the individual information repeat device 22 based on the data transmission frequency information 32.

FIG. 4 is an image diagram when three transmission frequency levels are provided. Data transmission frequency information 32 is added according to the type and content of each individual information and stored in a database.

[2] Priority transmission of individual information The transmission interval of individual information entering each area is determined by the size of each database and the file size to be sent to the multiplexer 2.

If the transmission frequency priority A data storage area is 1
It is assumed that the number of transmissions is 100,000, the transmission frequency priority B data storage area is 100,000, and the transmission frequency priority C data storage area is 1,000,000. The total file size sent to the multiplexer 2 is 50,000, and A
The data area is 10,000, the B data area is 10,000, and the C data area is 30,000. The transmission interval of each level at this time is represented by the following equation (1).

[0031]

[Equation 1] Transmission interval (second) = each data storage area (item) 件
各 Each data area to be sent to the multiplexer (items) / Total file size to be sent to the multiplexer (items)｝ ÷ Sending rate (items / second)

Here, the sending rate is fixed at 1000 records / sec. In the equation (1), each element is determined by first determining the transmission interval of the individual information, secondly determining the transmission rate of the individual information, and thirdly transmitting and transmitting to each data storage area and the multiplexer. In the order of the total file size.

In this case, the maximum time required to be registered in the database and sent to the multiplexer 3 is as follows. For A data, 10,000 / 10,000 / 50,000 / 1
Since 000 records / second = 50 seconds, the A data storage area makes one round in 50 seconds.

For B data, 100,000 cases ÷ 1
10,000 / 50,000 / 1000 / sec = 500 seconds,
One cycle goes around the B data storage area in 500 seconds = 8 minutes and 20 seconds.

In addition, about C data, 1 million
Since 30,000 / 50,000 / 1000 / sec = 1666 seconds, the C data storage area becomes 1 in 1667 seconds = 27 minutes 47 seconds.
Will go around.

The transmission frequency priority A data 38, the priority B data 39, and the priority C data 40 of the transmission frequency-based database circulation check data 37 are the transmission frequency priority A.
This is data indicating that the pointer has read one round of the data storage area 34, the transmission frequency priority B data storage area 35, and the transmission frequency priority C data storage area 36.

It is to be noted that the individual information database is capable of storing, for example, 5 million records in total, and the transmission frequency priority A data storage area 34 and the transmission frequency priority B
The capacities of the data storage area 35 and the transmission frequency priority C data storage area 36 are arbitrarily set to be different from each other, so that the time for circulating the write point and the read point is different.

Since the file size of the individual information S2 sent from the individual information database to the multiplexer 3 can be changed arbitrarily, the sending pattern, that is, the sending interval can be arbitrarily determined.

Note that the number of individual information items is the number of contracts, so there may be a plurality of cases by one person. Moreover, the information is of a nature that a contract may be changed every month or every time a new program is started.

The information transmission system of the present embodiment described above is applied to an information transmission system for transmitting common information and individual information in pay broadcasting. In particular, the contract information S between the transmitting system 10 on the broadcast supply side and each receiving terminal 11 based on the viewing information S8 at each receiving terminal 11
7, managing the individual information generation device 20 for generating the individual information S20 including the transmission frequency information, and managing the S2 transmission interval and / or the number of transmissions of the individual information based on the transmission frequency information included in the individual information S20; Individual information S at a predetermined cycle
2 and an individual information repeater 22 for setting the transmission of the information. As a result, priority transmission can be performed according to the urgency of the individual information, and it is possible to immediately respond to a countermeasure against a complaint in each receiving terminal 11.

In the information transmission system of the present embodiment, the individual information generation device 20 assigns transmission frequency information to a plurality of levels according to the type or content of the individual information S20, and the individual information repeat device 22 Are the transmission frequency priority A data storage area 34, the transmission frequency priority B data storage area 35, and the transmission frequency priority C data storage area in accordance with the plurality of levels of priority A, priority B, and priority C of the transmission frequency information. Since the information is separately stored in a plurality of storage areas and priority transmission of individual information is set for each of the plurality of storage areas, it is possible to flexibly respond to a demand of a pay broadcasting system.

Further, in the information transmission system of the present embodiment, the priority of the transmission frequency-based database circulation check data 37 constituting the transmission frequency-based circulation discriminator at the end of each of the plurality of storage areas of the individual information repeater 22. A
Since the data 38, the priority B data 39, and the priority C data 40 are provided, it is possible to constantly monitor the transmission interval, and determine whether each check data can be detected in a certain time. It is possible to recognize whether there is invalid data or valid data is transmitted, and when there is invalid data, it is possible to skip invalid data and transmit only valid data.

In the information transmission system of the present embodiment, the individual information repeater 22 stores the transmission frequency priority A data storage area according to the plurality of levels of priority A, priority B, and priority C of the transmission frequency information. 34, transmission frequency priority B data storage area 35, transmission frequency priority C data storage area 3
Since the transmission interval of the individual information is determined based on the capacity of each of the plurality of storage areas and the file size to be transmitted, the transmission pattern of the individual information can be set arbitrarily.

Further, in the information transmission system of the present embodiment, the individual information repeater 22 is arranged in the order of the transmission interval of the individual information, the transmission rate of the individual information, the capacity of each of the plurality of storage areas, and the size of the file to be transmitted. We set the conditions in, so we optimize according to each condition,
The transmission pattern can be set flexibly.

[0045]

The information transmission system of the present invention is applied to an information transmission system for transmitting common information and individual information in pay broadcasting. In particular, an individual information generation unit that generates individual information including transmission frequency information from contract information between the broadcast supply side and each reception terminal based on the viewing information at each reception terminal, and the transmission frequency information included in the individual information And an individual information transmission cycle setting unit that sets the transmission of the individual information at a predetermined cycle by managing the transmission interval and / or the number of times of transmission of the individual information based on the information. As a result, priority transmission can be performed according to the urgency of the individual information, and an effect is obtained in which it is possible to immediately respond to a countermeasure against a complaint in each receiving terminal.

Further, in the information transmission system of the present invention, the individual information generation section assigns transmission frequency information to a plurality of levels according to the type or content of the individual information, and the individual information transmission cycle setting section sets the transmission frequency information. A plurality of transmission frequency priority A data storage areas, transmission frequency priority B data storage areas, and transmission frequency priority C data storage areas are stored in accordance with a plurality of levels of priority information A, priority B, and priority C of the frequency information. Since the information is separately stored in the storage areas and the priority transmission of the individual information is set for each of the plurality of storage areas, it is possible to flexibly respond to the demand of the pay broadcasting system.

Further, in the information transmission system of the present invention, the priority A data of the database circulation check data for each transmission frequency constituting the circulation discrimination unit for each transmission frequency at the end of the plurality of storage areas of the individual information transmission cycle setting unit. for,
Since the data for the priority B data and the data for the priority C data are provided, the transmission interval can be constantly monitored, and whether or not there is invalid data in each area depends on whether or not each check data can be detected in a fixed time. It is possible to recognize whether valid data is transmitted, and when there is invalid data, it is possible to skip invalid data and transmit only valid data.

In the information transmission system according to the present invention, the individual information transmission cycle setting section includes a transmission frequency priority A data storage area according to the plurality of levels of priority A, priority B, and priority C of the transmission frequency information. Since the transmission interval of the individual information is determined by the capacity of each of the plurality of storage areas of the transmission frequency priority B data storage area and the plurality of storage areas of the transmission frequency priority C data storage area, the transmission pattern of the individual information is determined. Can be set arbitrarily.

Further, in the information transmission system of the present invention, the individual information transmission cycle setting unit includes:
Since the conditions are set in the order of the transmission rate of the individual information, the respective capacities of the plurality of storage areas, and the size of the file to be transmitted, the transmission pattern can be flexibly set by optimizing according to each condition. It has the effect of being able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of a transmission system mainly in a cable broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a principle diagram of a scramble control system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of individual information according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an image diagram of an individual information database according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Encoder 2 ... Multiplexer 3 ... Scrambler 4 ... Related information transmission apparatus 5 ... Program control system 6 ... Scramble control system 7 ... Viewing information collection processing system 8 ... Decoder, 9 security module, 10 transmitting system, 11 receiving terminal, 12 transmission line, 13 telephone line, 20 individual information generating device, 21 individual information encryption Equipment, 22 ...
... individual information repeater, 24 ... security management device, 30 ... individual information header, 31 ... individual information management number, 32 ... data transmission frequency, 33 ... other individual information, 34 ... transmission frequency priority A Data storage area, 35 ...
... Transmission frequency priority B data storage area, 36... Transmission frequency priority C data storage area, 37... Database frequency check data by transmission frequency, 38... Database priority check data for priority A data, 39. … Priority B
Data database circulation check data, 40 ...
Priority C data database circulation check data,
S0 ... Digital signal, S1 ... Control signal, S2 ...
Individual information, S3 ... common information (program information), S4 ... scramble key, S5 ... program number, S6 ... work key,
S7 ... contract information, S8 ... viewing information, S11 ... viewing control, S12 ... viewing information, S20 ... individual information, S2
1 ... individual information, S22 ... security information,

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Yoshiki Nakagawa, Inventor, 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (72) Yuko Ohira, 7-35, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (72) Masami Yamashita, Inventor Masami Yamashita 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Akiko Hirakawa 6-35, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Incorporated F term (reference) 5C064 BA01 BB07 BC07 BC16 BC17 BC22 BD03 BD08 5J104 AA16 AA27 AA33 BA03 BA04 DA04 EA26 JA03 PA05

Claims (5)

[Claims] In an information transmission system for transmitting common information and individual information in pay broadcasting, an individual information including transmission frequency information is obtained from contract information between a broadcast supply side and each receiving terminal based on viewing information at each receiving terminal. An individual information generation unit that generates information, and based on the transmission frequency information included in the individual information,
An information transmission system comprising: an individual information transmission cycle setting unit that manages the transmission interval and / or the number of transmissions of the individual information and sets the transmission of the individual information at a predetermined cycle. 2. The information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the individual information generation unit assigns the transmission frequency information to a plurality of levels according to the type or content of the individual information, and An information transmission system, wherein the cycle setting unit divides and stores the divided information in a plurality of storage areas according to a plurality of levels of the transmission frequency information, and sets priority transmission of the individual information for each of the plurality of storage areas. 3. The information transmission system according to claim 2, wherein a circulation discrimination unit for each transmission frequency is provided at the end of each of the plurality of storage areas of the individual information transmission cycle setting unit. 4. The information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the individual information transmission cycle setting unit determines a transmission interval of the individual information based on a capacity of each of the plurality of storage areas and a file size to be transmitted. An information transmission system characterized by the following. 5. The information transmission system according to claim 4, wherein the individual information transmission cycle setting section includes a transmission interval of the individual information, a transmission rate of the individual information, a capacity of each of the plurality of storage areas, and a transmission volume. An information transmission system characterized in that the file size is set in the order of the file size.