Sony Corporation

Katsumi Ohishi

Kenji Inose

Naohisa Kitazato

Keiji Fukuzawa

Masakatsu Toyoshima

This invention relates to an information delivery system and method, an information transmission apparatus and method, and an information receiving apparatus and method for delivering a digital multi-channel service signal through a satellite and a cable network. A QPSK demodulation circuit demodulates an inputted TS and outputs it to an error correction circuit. The error correction circuit corrects the inputted signal and outputs it to a network information (NIT) conversion circuit. The NIT conversion circuit replaces the NIT for CS waves with NIT for cable TV and outputs it to a QAM demodulation circuit. The QAM demodulation circuit demodulates the inputted signal and pouts it to a frequency conversion circuit. The frequency conversion circuit converts the frequency of the inputted signal into a predetermined value and outputs the signal to a signal mixer.

Information distribution system

A digital broadcast program broadcast with a first network is transmitted to a second network. A tuner selects digital broadcast signal having a predetermined transmission frequency and ECC decoder obtains MPEG2 TS packet S as the digital broadcast data on the digital satellite broadcasting. An NIT detecting circuit detects NIT from the MPEG2 TS packet S and a control unit changes the NIT to obtain a table NITb applicable to CATV. A NIT substitution circuit detects NIT from the MPEG2 TS packet S and substitutes table the NITb for the NIT to obtain MPEG2 TS packet S as the digital broadcast data on the CATV. Then, an error correct code is added to the MPEG2 TS packet S and the added packet S is modulated. Then, modulated one is frequency-converted to obtain digital broadcast signal BS- having a predetermined transmission frequency for the CATV. Further, a signal processing device including spare (redundant) signal processors simplified in their configurations and simple in their management may be obtained by this invention. Switch units corresponding to N signal processors in use, of switch units - through - (N&plus; ) are brought into conduction, and the switch unit corresponding to the remaining one signal processor set as a spare and placed in a standby state is brought to a cut-off state. Signals outputted from the switch units - through - (N&plus; ) are added together and the result of addition is sent to a CATV transmission path . When any of the N signal processors in use fails and a user inputs information about its failure through an operation unit , the faulty signal processor is newly kept in reserve and standby state. As an alternative to this, each signal processor kept in reserve and standby state up to now is placed in a used state. Thereby, it is possible to construct a spare signal processor as being unfixed.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Katsumi Ohishi