Commercial attenuator

• US 20030011716A1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gaia Technology Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Gaia Technology Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Vogel, Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/182,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/633
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A system and process which renders commercials less intrusive by reducing the intensity of the sound or picture or both during a commercial break. Whereas prior-art commercial deleters disable the sound or picture of a program during commercials, the present invention offers the advantage of being able to watch listen to commercials if desired while reducing their intrusiveness.

Claims

1. A system for selectively controlling the intensity of entertainment program material comprising:

an attenuator; and

a commercial detector arranged to control said attenuator.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said attenuator comprises an audio attenuator adapted to attenuate by a factor adjustable by the user.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said attenuator comprises an audio attenuator adapted to attenuate by a preset factor.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said attenuator comprises a video attenuator adapted to attenuate by a factor adjustable by the user.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said attenuator comprises a video attenuator adapted to attenuate by a preset factor.

8. A system according to any of claims 1-7 wherein said commercial detector comprises a receiver which receives signals from a remote transmitter indicating when a commercial break is in progress.

9. A system according to any of claims 1-7 wherein said commercial detector comprises an interface which connects to processing means, said processing means being adapted to receive from the Internet data indicating when a commercial break is in progress.

10. A system according to any of claims 1-7 wherein said commercial detector comprises an interface which connects to processing means, said processing means being adapted to receive data indicating when a commercial break is in progress from the Internet, and said data includes timestamps.

11. A system according to any of claims 1-7 wherein said commercial detector comprises an interface which connects to processing means, said processing means being adapted to:

receive data indicating whether a commercial break is in progress from the Internet, said data comprising packets transmitted at regular intervals;

command said attenuator to attenuate when said data indicates that a commercial is in progress on a channel of program being received;

command said attenuator to not attenuate when said data indicates that a commercial is not in progress on a channel of program being received; and

command said attenuator to not attenuate if said data packets are not received within a predetermined time.

12. A system according to any of claims 1-7 wherein said commercial detector monitors said entertainment program and determines when a commercial break is in progress according to program content.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said channel detector comprises:

a feature extractor adapted to extract features from a program signal;

a data receiver adapted to receive data describing features of each of a plurality of program signals; and

a processor adapted to determine which channel is being received by processing the output of said feature extractor and the output of said data receiver.

15. A system according to claim 13 wherein said feature extractor monitors the video content of a television program signal.

16. A system according to claim 12 wherein said feature extractor monitors the audio content of a television program signal.

17. A system according to claim 13 wherein said feature extractor monitors the video and audio content of a television program signal.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein the entertainment set is a television set.

20. A system according to claim 18 wherein the entertainment set is a radio set.

24. A system according to any of claims 1-7, 13-23 wherein the maximum attenuation of said attenuator is limited so that said entertainment program material remains discernable when attenuated.

6. A system for selectively controlling the intensity of entertainment program material comprising:

an audio attenuator;

a video attenuator; and

a commercial detector arranged to control said attenuators.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the degree of attenuation of the video signal and the degree of attenuation of the audio signal can be adjusted independently.

13. A system for selectively controlling the intensity of entertainment program material comprising:

an attenuator;

a channel detector adapted to detect which one of a plurality of channels of entertainment program is being received;

an indicating signal receiver; and

a controller responsive to the output of said channel detector and said indicating signal receiver adapted so that while said indicating signal indicates that a commercial is in progress on a channel being received, said attenuator is commanded to attenuate.

18. An entertainment set comprising a program receiver, a monitor, an attenuator receiving program from the program receiver and feeding program to said monitor, a commercial detector, and a controller arranged to control said attenuator according to output of said commercial detector.

21. A program recording set comprising a program receiver, a recorder, an attenuator receiving program from the program receiver and feeding program to said recorder, a commercial detector, and a controller arranged to control said attenuator according to output of said commercial detector.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said recorder is a video recorder.

23. A system according to claim 21 wherein said recorder is an audio recorder.

25. A system for selectively controlling the intensity of entertainment program material substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.