JPH024941B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an information providing system, and more particularly, to an information providing system that provides desired information to a user using images and sounds.

Display a menu with multiple choices
It is equipped with multiple sets of terminal equipment consisting of a CRT, a monitor receiver that displays moving images or still images, and an input device that inputs the start of operation or menu selection. The applicant proposed an information providing system that displays moving images or still images and provides desired information to the user. In such a system, each terminal device group is independent and provides information to each user, so it would be expensive to provide a still image playback device for displaying still images on each terminal device group. Therefore, it is desirable to display still images that meet the needs of each terminal equipment group using a small number of still image playback devices.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
To provide an information providing system that does not require a still image reproducing device for each of a plurality of terminal equipment groups, requires fewer still image reproducing devices, and has a low price for the entire system.

The configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a CRT that displays a menu consisting of a plurality of options;
Equipped with multiple sets of terminal equipment consisting of a monitor receiver that displays moving images or still images, and an input device that inputs operation start or menu selection, and monitors moving images or still images according to the operation of the input device by the user. An information provision system that displays information on a receiver and provides information to a user includes a still image playback device that records a plurality of still images and plays back video signals of the still images in response to operations on an input device, and a plurality of sets of still images. A plurality of frame memories provided corresponding to each of the terminal equipment groups record the supplied still image video signals, repeatedly reproduce the still image video signals, and display the still image video signals on the monitor receivers of the respective terminal equipment groups. , a multiplexer that supplies a video signal of a still image reproduced by a still image reproduction device to a frame memory corresponding to a terminal device group to which the input terminal belongs.

FIG. 1 shows a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of an information providing system according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a main computer, which performs various controls of the entire system. This main computer 1 is provided with a flexible disk device 2 and a magnetic disk device 3 as external memories. Also, CRT
4 displays the operating status of the main computer 1, and the operator can use the keyboard 5 based on this display.
The main computer 1 can be operated using the .

The subcomputer 6 exchanges data with the main computer 1, and similar subcomputers other than the computer 6 are connected to the main computer. The subcomputer 6 has a magnetic disk device 7 as an external memory.
For example, six front end processors 8a to 8f are connected to the subcomputer 6. The front end processor 8a has a keyboard 9a,
CRT9b, printer 9c, card reader 9d,
A coin insertion discriminator 9e and the like are connected. Under the control of the subcomputer 6, the front end processor 8a displays a menu consisting of various selection options on the CRT 9b, and also sends input data from the keyboard 9a, card reader 9d, and coin insertion discriminator 9e to the subcomputer 6. Then, under the control of the subcomputer 6, the printer 9c is caused to print. The other five front-end processors have the same configuration and operate in the same manner, so their explanation will be omitted.

A system controller 10 operates a video tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as "VTR") group 11, an optical disk device group 12, and a multiplexer 13, 1 according to a control signal supplied from the main computer 1.
4, 17, the frame memory group 15 and tape recorder 16 are activated. VTR group 11 is 12
Two VTRs correspond to each of the front end processors 8a to 8f. These operate independently according to control signals from the system controller 10, and each
The video signal and audio signal reproduced by the VTR are each supplied to a multiplexer 13.

The optical disk device group 12 is composed of two optical disk devices, and these optical disk devices operate independently according to control signals from the system controller 10. A large number of still images with different contents are recorded on the optical disks attached to each of the two optical disk devices, and each optical disk device plays back the still image specified by the control signal, and reproduces the reproduced image of the still image. The signal is applied to multiplexer 14.

The multiplexer 14 is connected to each of the 12 frame memories constituting the frame memory group 15, and converts the still image video signal supplied from the optical disk device group 12 into a frame designated by a control signal from the system controller 10. Supply to memory. The 12 frame memories in the frame memory group 15 each have two front end processors 8a to 8a.
One of the frame memories corresponding to each front-end processor corresponds to a right monitor, which will be described later, and the other corresponds to a left monitor. Each frame memory is supplied to an optical disk device group 1 via a multiplexer 14.
The video signal of the still image from 2 is recorded. Further, each frame memory repeatedly reproduces a video signal of a still image already recorded when specified by a control signal from the system controller 10 and supplies the same to the multiplexer 13 .

The multiplexer 13 supplies each audio signal from the VTR group 11 to the multiplexer 17, and also supplies the video signal from the VTR group 11 or the still image video signal from the frame memory group 15 to the multiplexer 17 according to the control signal from the system controller 10. It is supplied to each of the monitors 20a ₁ , 20a ₂ , . . . 20f ₁ , 20f ₂ to display images.

The tape recorder 16 is the system controller 1
A tape on which background music or the like is recorded is played back in response to the control signal 0, and the audio signal thereof is supplied to the multiplexer 17. The main computer 1 also supplies a control signal to the speech synthesizer 18 to operate it. Speech synthesis device 18
synthesizes various audio information stored in the magnetic disk device 19 to generate an audio signal, and supplies this to the multiplexer 17. The multiplexer 17 appropriately selects or superimposes the 12 audio signals from the multiplexer 13 and the audio signal from the tape recorder 16 or the audio signal from the audio synthesizer 18 in accordance with the control signal from the system controller 10 to output the 6 audio systems to the speakers. The signal is supplied to each of 21a to 21f to generate sound.

Here, a front end processor 8a, a keyboard 9a, a CRT 9b, a printer 9c, a card reader 9d, a coin insertion discriminator 9e, etc. and a monitor 20 are installed.
A ₁ , 20a ₂ and the speaker 21a constitute one terminal equipment group 22a, and other front end processors also constitute a front end with the same equipment. In other words, one terminal device group consists of one
It has a CRT and two monitors.

Next, the operation of an embodiment of the system of the present invention will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG.

The main computer 1 normally displays a still image of the wedding venue guide reproduced from the optical disk device group 12 on the left monitor (for example, monitor 20a ₁ ) of each terminal equipment group, and displays the still image of the explanation of the wedding venue guide on the right monitor (for example, monitor 20a 1 ) of each terminal equipment group.
_A2 ) shows a still image of a card being inserted into a card reader. In this state, whether the card is inserted into the card reader 9d or the coin insertion discriminator 9
When a coin is thrown to e, main computer 1
starts the program shown in the second figure.

In step 30, in accordance with the command from the main computer 1, the subcomputer 6 sends the information for menu display read out from the disk device 7 to the front end processor 8a, and sends information to the CRT 9b such as "1. Wedding venue information, 2. Real estate information," ...”
A menu is displayed for selecting business guidance such as. Next, in step 31, a control signal is supplied to the system controller 10, thereby controlling the front end processor 8 in the VTR group 11.
The VTR corresponding to the left monitor and corresponding to the monitor on the left plays back the recorded portion of the moving image that displays the above-mentioned business guide dividedly on one screen, and this video signal is supplied to the monitor 20a ₁ through the multiplexer 13. , shown here. In addition, in step 32, a control signal is supplied to the system controller 10, and one of the optical disk devices in the optical disk device group 12 displays a stationary keyboard with the words "Select your desired number" inserted on the surface on which the keyboard is operated. Images are selectively reproduced and supplied via the multiplexer 14 to the frame memory corresponding to the front end processor 8a of the frame memory group 15 and corresponding to the right monitor, where they are recorded. This still image is repeatedly reproduced, and its video signal is supplied to the monitor _20a2 via the multiplexer 13 and displayed there. Further, in step 33, a control signal is supplied to the voice synthesizer 18, which synthesizes a voice such as "Select the desired number", and this voice signal is supplied to the speaker 21a via the multiplexer 17. , pronounced here.

Thereafter, in step 34, it is determined whether or not a menu has been selected by operating the keyboard 9a, and after waiting for the menu selection, the process proceeds to further segmented selection processing of the selected task. The subsequent selection process also has substantially the same structure as steps 30 to 34 described above, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

When the selection process is completed and the desired wedding venue, budget, etc. are determined, the process moves on to step 35 where an introduction process is performed. For example, if wedding hall guidance is selected at step 34, then at step 35 the front end processor 8a of the VTR group 11
A moving scene of the exterior of the desired wedding hall selected by the VTR corresponding to the left monitor is reproduced and displayed on the monitor _20a1 . Further, in step 36, still images of the surrounding environment, lobby, garden, ceremony hall, waiting room, and banquet hall of the desired wedding venue, which are reproduced by any of the optical disk devices of the optical disk device group 12, are respectively reproduced. , are displayed one after another on the monitor _20a2 . Furthermore, in step 37, guidance corresponding to the still image displayed on the monitor _20a2 ,
Voices such as explanations are synthesized by the voice synthesizer 18, and the background music voice reproduced from the tape recorder 16 is superimposed on this voice, and the sound is output from the speaker 21a.

In the same way as in steps 35 to 37 above, the completion of the wedding hall guidance is indicated on the monitors 20a ₁ , 20a ₂ and the speaker 21a, and then the program shown in FIG. 2 is ended.

In this way, the video signals of still images reproduced by the two optical disk devices of the optical disk device group 12 are once recorded in the frame memories provided in two devices corresponding to each terminal device group, and this is repeated. Because of playback, an optical disk device is not required for each of a plurality of terminal equipment groups, the number of optical disk devices is small, and the price of the entire system is reduced.

As explained above, the information providing system according to the present invention includes a still image playback device that records a plurality of still images and plays back video signals of the still images according to the operation of an input device, and a plurality of sets of terminals. a plurality of frame memories provided corresponding to each of the device groups to record the supplied still image video signals, repeatedly reproduce the still image video signals, and display the still image video signals on the monitor receivers of the respective terminal device groups; It is characterized by a multiplexer that supplies a video signal of a still image reproduced by a still image reproduction device to a frame memory corresponding to a terminal device group to which the input device belongs, so that the input device is compatible with each terminal device group. This has the effect that a still image reproducing device is not required, the number of still image reproducing devices is small, and the price of the entire system is reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a program executed by a main computer in the same embodiment. 1... Main computer, 3, 7, 19... Magnetic disk device, 4, 9b... CRT display device, 5, 9a... Keyboard, 6... Sub computer, 8a, 8f... Front end processor, 9
c...Printer, 9d...Card reader, 9e...Coin insertion discriminator, 10...System controller, 1
1... VTR group, 12... Optical disk device group, 13,
14, 17...Multiplexer, 15...Frame memory group, 16...Tape recorder, 18...Speech synthesis device, _20a1 , _20a2 , _20f1 , _20f2 ...Monitor receiver, 21a, 21f...Speaker, 22a...Terminal equipment group .

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Displaying a menu consisting of multiple options
It is equipped with multiple sets of terminal equipment consisting of a CRT, multiple monitor receivers that display moving images or still images, and an input device that inputs operation start or menu selection, and the In an information providing system that displays moving images or still images on the monitor receiver and provides information to the user, a plurality of monitor receivers of each of the above terminal devices are used to display a common still image on the monitor receiver of other terminal devices. The receivers are divided into multiple sets according to the number of sets of monitor receivers, and
A still image playback device is provided for recording a plurality of still images to be displayed on the monitor receiver, and a still image playback device is provided corresponding to the plurality of monitor receivers of the terminal equipment group to record still images supplied from the still image playback device. A plurality of frame memories are provided that record video signals and send still images to corresponding monitor receivers, and are connected between the still image playback device and the frame memory, and are connected to the still image playback device and the frame memory to record the still images in accordance with the operation of the input device. An information providing system comprising a multiplexer for distributing and supplying a still image video signal from a reproduction device to a frame memory of a set of monitor receivers corresponding to the still image reproduction device.