JP3136665B2 - Terminal equipment for CATV - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention performs descrambling on a TV signal sent to a transmission line after being scrambled by a center facility at a terminal device installed in each home to determine whether a program can be viewed. About the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a subscriber inserts a prepaid card, a terminal device installed at a subscriber's house reads key data for descrambling a program corresponding to the card, and based on this data, decodes the corresponding program. The image signal was output to a television connected to the terminal device after scrambling.

[0003]

The conventional system has a drawback that the prepaid card can be used by any subscriber and no measures against theft are taken.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a CATV terminal device in which a prepaid card can be used only by a subscriber who has purchased the card.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a terminal apparatus for CATV, comprising: a descramble section for descrambling a TV signal scrambled by a CATV center facility; and an ID number in which an ID number unique to the terminal is set. A setting unit, a card writing / reading unit, and an ID of the ID number setting unit only for a prepaid card used for the first time.
The card number is written by the card writing / reading unit. When a prepaid card is used, the desk number is read only when the ID number read by the card writing / reading unit matches the ID number of the ID number setting unit.
The ramble section includes an information processing section for descrambling the TV signal.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a CATV according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1 shows a configuration of a terminal device 10. This terminal device is a CA
A descrambling unit 71 for descrambling a TV signal scrambled by a TV center facility, an ID number setting unit 77 in which an ID number unique to a terminal is set, a card writing / reading unit 75, and a prepaid card used for the first time. The ID number of the ID number setting unit 77 is written by the card writing / reading unit only for the card, and when the prepaid card is used, the card writing / reading unit 7 is used.
5 and the ID number of the ID number setting unit 77
An information processing unit 73 that causes the descrambler 71 to descramble the TV signal only when the D number matches.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The terminal device 10 takes in the scrambled TV signal sent from the center as an input signal 1, descrambles it by a descrambler 71 and outputs it as an output signal 2 to a TV receiver connected to the terminal device. Output.

First, the subscriber inserts the prepaid card purchased for the first time into the card writing / reading section 75. The card writing / reading unit 75 attempts to read the ID number from the card. However, since this is the first card, no ID number has been written, and the information processing unit 73 reads the terminal-specific ID number read from the ID number setting unit 77. Write the data 76 to the card.

Thereafter, when the prepaid card is inserted into the card writing / reading section 75, the ID number read from the card and the ID number read from the ID number setting section 77 each time are inserted.
Compared with D number data and only when both match,
The information processing section 73 outputs a descrambler control signal 72 to the descrambling section 71, and descrambling of the corresponding channel is started.

The descrambled TV signal 2 is sent to a television connected to the terminal, and the subscriber obtains a descrambled image.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the prepaid card can be used only by the subscriber who purchased the card at the subscriber's terminal device, so that unauthorized use due to the theft of the prepaid card can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a terminal device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 input signal 2 output signal 10 terminal device 71 descrambler unit 72 descrambler control signal 73 information processing unit 75 card writing / reading unit 76 ID number data 77 ID number setting unit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A descramble section for descrambling a TV signal scrambled by a CATV center facility, an ID number setting section in which an ID number unique to a terminal is set, a card writing / reading section, and a first use. ID only for prepaid cards
The ID number of the number setting section is written by the card writing / reading section. When a prepaid card is used, only when the ID number read by the card writing / reading section matches the ID number of the ID number setting section. , CATV for terminal device comprising an information processing unit for descrambling the TV signal to the descrambling unit.