JPS5810914B2 - Fugoujiyouhounodensohouhou - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of transmitting coded information using television broadcasting.

Conventionally, this method has been applied to an automatic broadcast fact confirmation system in which a receiving side automatically confirms whether or not a specific broadcast content, such as a commercial broadcast, was actually broadcast at a predetermined time.

Conventionally known broadcast fact automatic confirmation systems include:
A special image pattern representing the code of the broadcast content, e.g., vertical stripes of white and black, is placed on the projection film itself that records the specific broadcast content to be confirmed, as a signal (i.e., code information) to distinguish it from other broadcast content. There is a known system in which the code information corresponding to the specific broadcast content is extracted by recording the vertical stripes and distinguishing the vertical stripes from the received television signal.

By the way, it is extremely difficult to directly apply the black and white vertical stripes to the projection film, so they can be created by, for example, drawing them on a large piece of blank paper and then photographing and recording them on the projection film. Due to misalignment, when black and white vertical stripes that have been accurately drawn on a blank sheet of paper are transferred to a projection film, they may be misaligned from the specified recording position, or may be distorted due to fluctuations in the imaging position or magnification of the film feeding device that reads them out. When the black and white vertical stripes are caught on the receiving side, they may be shifted from the specified position in the raster, or the length and width may be deformed to a greater extent than the normal length and width.

Therefore, the conventional method of recording black and white vertical stripes on projection film and attempting to obtain information for confirming broadcasting by detecting only the black and white vertical stripes is difficult, no matter how high the accuracy of the detection device on the receiving side is. However, because the code information (black and white vertical stripes) used to identify kanjin has changed as described above, there is an extremely high risk that the desired code information cannot be reliably detected or that it will be detected incorrectly. it was high.

However, the present invention fundamentally abandons the method of recording code information on a projection film and transmitting the image, and in the process of synthesizing the synchronized signal after the image is captured on the transmitting side, the code information is added to the video signal band of the television signal. At the same time, in the synthesis process, apart from the code information, a search signal for searching the code information is inserted in the previous step, and on the receiving side, the code is calculated based on the search signal. This method adopts a method of searching for information, thereby eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks when applied to automatic broadcast fact confirmation.The following is a diagram of the method applied to an automatic broadcast fact confirmation system. This will be explained in detail with reference to examples.

As shown in Figure 1, frames L1~ of the projection film CF are now
Assuming that a specific broadcast content is recorded in Ln, and the fact of the broadcast is to be confirmed, the present invention provides a television signal section corresponding to the frame Lo immediately before the frame L1. During raster generation, electrical signals that form the image pattern shown in Figure 2 are inserted by the code information creation device shown in Figure 3 during the synchronization signal synthesis process on the transmitting side (broadcasting station). The relationship between the image patterns shown in the figure in raster will be explained, and then the code information creation device shown in FIG. 3 that creates the image patterns will be explained.

The above piece.

The image pattern appearing at the location corresponding to consists of a plurality of clock patterns x for searching and a code pattern y that specifies the code of the specific broadcast content recorded in frames L1 to Ln. is inserted within the safe zone SZ in which transmission and reception are always possible even under any adverse conditions on both the sending and receiving sides.

Here, one of the features of the present invention is to provide a clock pattern x for searching, which functions as a sampling signal for extracting the code pattern y to be transmitted thereafter, The detection of the code pattern y has a significant influence on the subsequent detection of the code pattern y, and the clock pattern x is designed to be particularly reliable in detection on the receiving side compared to the code pattern y.

That is, the clock pattern x is a clock pattern.

From a certain distance TS at the scanning speed from the left end of the frame, it is -1 width TA and a frame.

A certain length B from the upper end of.

It is constructed by creating N vertically elongated black belts each having a predetermined length B1 as described above, spaced apart by a constant interval TB.

The 18 spaces between the black belts are white.

In addition, the code pattern y is directly below each of the black belts mentioned above.

Imagine that there is a rectangular section a certain length B2 away from the top edge, with a black band on the horizontal side and the same width as TA, and a constant length B3, and make a black pattern for each section. The combination of white patterns is determined in relation to the broadcast content to be recorded and confirmed in the frames L1 to Ln, and the code of the broadcast content is represented as a whole.

Note that the area between the clock pattern x and the code pattern y, that is, the B2-B1=B4 section is white.

The clock pattern x and the code pattern -y have the relationship as described above, and they are
, during the process of scanning the projection film CF,
It is created by inserting electrical signals according to the clock pattern x and code pattern y into a television signal (electrical signal).Next, we will discuss the code information creation device shown in Figure 3 that performs this. explain.

In the block diagram of FIG. 3, the components that create the above-mentioned clock pattern x are shown above the I-■ line, and the components that create the code pattern y are shown below.

First, to explain the components that make up the clock pattern x, as mentioned above, the left edge of the clock pattern x is the frame.

Since the clock pulse starts at a time Ts apart from the left end of the clock, a clock pulse is applied to the preset counter 1 starting from the vertical synchronization signal in order to align the clock pulses.

When the preset counter 1 counts the above-mentioned Ts time, the flop 2 becomes set in the fritz, and its output opens the gate 3 and applies a clock pulse to the selector 4. The flip-flop 6 is placed in a set state by the output of the flip-flop 6, and the selector 4 is controlled by the output of the flip-flop 6, and the clock pulse is supplied to the preset counter 7A which determines the width TA of the black obi.

When the preset counter 7A counts the clock pulses for the above TA time, its output causes the flip-flop to be reset so that the selector 4 in turn sends the clock pulses towards the preset counter 7B which determines the interval TB between the black stripes. supply

When the counter 7B counts the clock pulse for the time TB, its output passes through the OR circuit 5 and sets the flip-flop 6 in the set state again, so that the selector 4 is switched and the clock pulse is counted again to the counter 7A.
It is supposed to be fed to the side.

Therefore, the flip-flop 6 alternately repeats the TA waiting time setting state and the 18-hour reset state, and its output is a mark H of TA width and a space L of TB width.
The output is a square wave signal (pulse) in which the signals are alternately inverted, and its output is inputted through a gate 8 and an OR circuit 9 to a synchronous synthesis circuit (not shown) provided at the broadcasting station, and is then converted into a television signal. In the video signal band of , the mark portion is inserted as a video signal with a black level and the space portion with a white level.

- 10,000, the mark portion of the output of the flip-flop 6 is counted by a preset counter 10 that determines the number of black bars, and when the number reaches N, the counter 10 resets the flip-flop 2 and The gate 3 is closed and the input of clock pulses to the preset counter 7A or 7B is stopped.

The preset counter 1 is cleared each time a horizontal synchronizing signal arrives, and the above series of operations is repeated for each horizontal scan.

On the other hand, the horizontal synchronization signal is counted using the vertical synchronization signal as a starting point by a preset counter 11 that determines the length B1 of the black band. After counting, the output puts the flip-flop 12 into a reset state, the gate 8 which has been open until now closes, and the output of the flip-flop 6 is cut off from being input to the synchronous synthesis circuit from that point on. There is.

As shown in FIG. 4, the television signal created by the above-mentioned action is, within one horizontal scanning section H, from the horizontal periodic signal to a white level during the Ts period, and then a black level. The level and white level are width TA,
Due to the relationship of TB, the signal is alternately inverted N times, and this continues for the number of horizontal scans of B11.

Next, to explain the components that create the code pattern y, the horizontal synchronization signal determines the horizontal position (frame) that creates the code pattern y.

A preset counter 13 that determines the width B2) and a preset counter 14 that determines the width B3, and when the counter 13 counts the number of horizontal synchronization signals corresponding to B2, the output The flip-flop 15 is set, and the counter 1
When the number of horizontal synchronizing signals corresponding to B3 is counted, the flip-flop 15 is reset by the output thereof.

The output of the flip-flop 15 is gate group 1.
61 to 16N all at once, and these can be put into operation mode only during 83 hours after B2 has elapsed starting from the vertical synchronization signal.

On the other hand, the N pulses output from the flip-flop 6 for each horizontal scan are input to a shift register 17, and the shift register 17 uses the gate group 16. .about.16N are sequentially put into operation mode each time the flip-flop 6 outputs one pulse.

Further, the gate groups 161 to 16N are connected to the code signal generator 18.
connected to each output terminal.

Therefore, in the 83 time period after the lapse of B2, the gate groups 161 to 16N are sequentially operated during the TA time from the time Ts after the horizontal synchronization signal for each horizontal scan.
The code signal from the code signal generator 18 is repeatedly and serially sent to the synchronous synthesis circuit for the number of B33 horizontal scans via the OR circuit 9.
It is transmitted as a video signal with black and white levels according to the code.

As stated above, a broadcasting station creates a clock pattern x and a code pattern y and transmits them before scanning and transmitting frames L1 to Ln of the projection film CF. By attaching the configuration to a conventional television receiver, it is possible to detect only the search clock pattern x having the above-mentioned relationship, and to search for the code pattern y on the premise of its detection. A code information detecting device for obtaining code information for confirming the fact of broadcasting, which represents the code of a specific broadcast content sent after them, will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 shows a clock pattern detection circuit x which detects a clock pattern x to obtain a clock pulse as a whole, and FIG. 6 shows a code pattern which detects a code pattern y based on the above-mentioned lock pulse. Detection circuit Y is shown.

First, to explain from the clock pattern detection circuit X shown in FIG. 20, the video signal is separated into a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal, and the video signal is input to a black and white level determination circuit 21 including a level clamp circuit, and the horizontal synchronization signal is input to a counter 22. .

After being clamped, the video signal input to the black and white level determination circuit 21 is converted into a binary electric signal (black level is HIGH) depending on whether it falls into the black level region or the white level region.
1 white level is LOW).

Here, the black level is "H" and the white level is "L".
Therefore, for convenience of explanation, the H portion (black level) will be referred to as a mark and the L portion (white level) will be referred to as a space.

The binary electric signal from the judgment circuit 21 is sent to the mark counter 23.
M and the space counter 23s, the mark length and space length are each counted, and after becoming a parallel binary electric signal according to the length, a little redundancy is given to TA and TB for the certain period of time. Only those having a length within a specified range are taken out, and a small amount of space existing in the mark section and a small amount of mark existing in the space section are absorbed and removed here.

Marks that have become parallel binary signals in the mark counter 23M are sorted into odd and even numbers by the odd/even ranking sorting circuit 24, with the odd numbers stored in the latch memory 25o on the odd number side and the even numbers stored on the even number side. The data are stored in the lunch memory 25E.

Note that the odd/even rank selection circuit 24 specifically includes a register for temporarily holding data, a divider for dividing the data by a specific divisor (for example, 2), and a divider for determining the result. If there is a remainder after dividing the input data by the divisor, the input data is determined to be an odd number, and if there is no remainder, it is determined to be an even number. The even rank sorting circuit also has the same configuration.

The marks sorted in this way are compared by a comparator 26, and when an odd or even match is found, a pulse indicating a match is output from the comparator 26, and this operation is performed by a latch memory. 25o,
This process is repeated each time new information is entered in 25E and old information is cleared.

That is, here, it is checked whether the width TA of the black obi, which is an element of the clock pattern x for retrieval, is the same between adjacent ones during one horizontal scan.

Furthermore, the marks converted into parallel binary signals by the mark counter 23M are also input to the gate 27, which is configured in a related manner so as to pass only the first mark after receiving the horizontal synchronization signal. The mark that has passed through, that is, the first mark in each horizontal scan, is sorted by the odd and even rank sorting circuit 28 in the same manner as described above, and is stored in the latch memories 290 and 29E so that it can be compared by the comparator 30. It has become.

In other words, here, whether the mark with a length within the specified range that first appeared in the previous horizontal scan and the mark with the length within the same specified range that first appeared in the current horizontal scan match each other. It is possible to check.

The match signal from the comparator 30 is sent to the hold circuit 3.
1, it is held for a certain period of time.

The counter 22 is set by the horizontal synchronization signal separated by the separation circuit 20, and is set by the horizontal synchronization signal separated by the separation circuit 20.
It is reset by the mark (black level) that is output.

Therefore, this counter 22 counts the time from when the horizontal synchronizing signal is received to when the first mark is received for each horizontal synchronizing signal.

The above-mentioned time value counted by the counter 22 for each horizontal scan is sorted into odd number and even number by the odd and even rank sorting circuit 32, and is stored in the latch memories 33o and 33E.
The data are stored in the memory and compared by the comparator 34.

That is, here, it is checked whether the black pattern located on the leftmost side of one screen is continuous vertically at the same horizontal scanning position, or in other words, whether it is continuous at the Ts time position. be.

The match signal from the comparator 34 is sent to the hold circuit 3.
5, it is held for a certain period of time.

As mentioned above, the coincidence signal from the comparator 26, which is used to check whether the widths of adjacent marks in one horizontal scanning section are equal to each other, is applied to the counter 36. The number of coincidence signals changed during the scanning period is counted.

Then, the counted value is sorted into odd and even numbers by the odd/even ranking sorting circuit 37, stored in the latch memories 38o and 38E, and compared by the comparator 39.

That is, here, it is determined whether the number of marks present in the previous horizontal scan and the number of marks present in the horizontal scan of the mouth match each other. It can be used to check whether or not they are continuous.

The match signal from the comparator 39 is sent to the hold circuit 4.
0, it is held for a certain period of time.

the comparator 39 capable of checking whether the number of marks between horizontal scans matches as described above;
Match signals from a comparator 30 that can check whether the widths of the first marks match and a comparator 34 that can check whether the positions of the first marks match are sent to hold circuits 40, 31, and 35. The logical product is once held by the AND circuit 41 for each horizontal scan.

Further, although omitted in the drawings, the width of the space (white level) from the space counter 23s is determined by a mechanism similar to the selection circuit 24, the latch memories 25o, 25E, and the comparator 26, and then the width of the space is determined by the gate. 27. With a mechanism similar to the sorting circuit 28, latch memories 29o, 29E, and comparator 30, the initial space width after the establishment of the first mark is compared between horizontal scans, and the sorting circuit 32, latch memory 33 ( ), 33
E, the same mechanism as the comparator 34 is used to check whether or not there is continuity, and the number is also checked using the same mechanism as the selection circuit 37, the latch memories 38o, 38E, and the comparator 39; is added to the AND circuit 41, and logical product is performed together with the mark.

Thus, when all the conditions for marks and spaces are satisfied between horizontal scans, the AND circuit 4
1 outputs a pulse representing the coincidence, and the pulse is counted by a preset counter 42, and the number corresponds to the Bo that the black band has a satisfactory length. When it is picked up, the counter 42 outputs a pulse indicating that the preset value has been exceeded.

That is, here, the number of horizontal scans set by the above-mentioned conditions for marks and spaces (above B).

(equivalent to) can be used to check whether or not you are continuously satisfied.

When the above is satisfied and the preset counter 42 outputs a pulse, the memory control circuit 43 is driven by the pulse, and the latch memories 25o, 330
Data necessary to be stored, such as marks, widths of spaces, permutations, numbers, times relative to horizontal synchronizing signals, etc., are stored in the memory 44.

Therefore, the clock pattern detection circuit X shown in FIG.
detects only images that are exactly the same as or very similar to the search clock pattern First, since it can be considered as insulation, this detection circuit X stores data in the memory 44 only when the clock pattern X is received.

Next, on the premise of detecting the clock pattern X as described above, a code pattern detection circuit Y will be described which detects the code pattern y while being controlled by the clock pulse obtained by the detection.

The binary electric signal from the black and white level determination circuit 21 (FIG. 5) is input to a gate 45, which is opened by the output of the preset counter 42 (thereby passing through it). .

Therefore, the binary electrical signal passes through the gate 45 after the clock pattern X is detected as described above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the B4 section between the clock pattern By this, the length of the space (white level) for each horizontal scan is counted, and when almost the entire space is occupied by one horizontal scan section, one pulse is output from the counter 46. .

In other words, it can be said that the counter 46 detects only horizontal scanning lines whose entirety is at the white level.

Furthermore, the pulses from this counter 46 are counted by a preset counter 47, and the number of pulses is
When the number corresponds to pattern x) is read out.

This read data is converted into a binary electric signal by a decoder 49 (FIG. 5), and becomes a clock pulse having a mark width of TA and a space width of TB, similar to the pulse shown in FIG.

This clock pulse passes through the gate 45 (FIG. 6) (after detection of clock pattern x).
A value electrical signal is applied to a mark comparator 50, where on the arrival of each clock pulse,
It is determined whether the signal from the black and white level determination circuit 21 (FIG. 5) is a mark (black) or a space (white), and then the shift register 51 converts the black and white into parallel binary electric signals in bit units. It is now converted into a signal.

Then, the parallel binary electric signals from the shift register 51 for each horizontal scan are sorted into odd and even numbers by the odd and even rank sorting circuit 52, and are stored in the latch memories 53o and 53E, respectively, and are sent to the comparator 54.
can be compared by.

The coincidence signal from the comparator 54 is counted by the preset counter 55, and when the number corresponds to B3, which is the vertical width of the code pattern y, as shown in FIG. When the forward electric signal continues, a pulse is returned from the counter 55, and the gate 56 is opened by the pulse, and the latch memory 53 is opened.
The parallel binary electrical signals stored at the gate 56 are transferred to the latch memory 57 through the gate 56.

Note that the pulse from the counter 55 is also input to a gate control 58, so that the gate 48 is closed.

By reading out the data stored in the latch memory 57 at an appropriate time and analyzing it in real time, or by recording it on an appropriate recording medium and analyzing it after the fact, the data can be recorded on the projection film CF. It is possible to confirm whether or not a specific broadcast content was actually broadcast.

In addition, in the above embodiment, binary coding was performed using black and white as units, but in the case of color broadcasting, binary coding was performed using other colors.
You can evolve.

Further, in the above description, the present invention is applied to automatic confirmation of broadcast facts, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. It can be applied to things as well.

As is clear from the above description, the code information transmission method of the present invention is capable of transmitting a clock pattern video signal that will constitute a clock pattern in a raster, and a code pattern video signal that will constitute a code pattern. When electrically combining the synchronization signal with the television signal on the television broadcast transmitting side,
The vertical synchronization signal is inserted into at least one field of the television signal at a predetermined number of horizontal scanning lines as a starting point, and transmitted. A clock pulse is obtained by detecting a pattern video signal, and predetermined code information is obtained by searching the code pattern video signal using the clock pulse, and code information (code pattern video signal) is obtained. Rather than being recorded on a projection film or the like and then transmitted, it is inserted and transmitted as an electrical signal during the synchronization signal synthesis process on the transmitting side, so that the desired coded information can be accurately transmitted and received.

Also, on the premise of detecting the video signal for the clock pattern, the video signal for the code pattern is searched for, and they are inserted into the same field of the television signal on the transmitting side, and the code pattern on the receiving side is It is possible to reliably find the video signal for use.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automatic broadcast fact confirmation system. Fig. 1 is a partially omitted plan view of a projection film recording specific broadcast contents to be confirmed, and Fig. 2 is a partially omitted plan view. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a code information creation device that creates the clock pattern and code pattern; FIG. is an explanatory waveform diagram of a television signal into which necessary signals have been inserted by the code information creation device;
, 6 shows a block diagram of a code information detection device attached to a television receiver, FIG. 5 shows a clock pattern detection circuit therein, and FIG. 6 shows a code pattern detection circuit. be. x: clock pattern, y: code pattern, X: clock pattern detection circuit, Y: code pattern detection circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A clock pattern video signal that will constitute a clock pattern in a raster and a code pattern video signal that will constitute a code pattern are
When a synchronization signal is electrically synthesized with a television signal on the transmission side of television broadcasting, the vertical synchronization signal is inserted into at least one field of the television signal at a distance of a predetermined number of horizontal scanning lines as a starting point. On the receiving side, the clock pulse is obtained by detecting the clock pattern video signal from the video signal received by the television receiver.
A method for transmitting code information, characterized in that predetermined code information is obtained by searching the code pattern video signal using the clock pulse.