Method and apparatus for control of closed captioning

• US 20030169366A1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VITAC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Caption Colorado LLC (VITAC Corporation)
• Inventors: Long, Wesley, Lenzi, Umberto
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/278 Subtitling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for performing closed captioning enables a caption prepared remotely by a captioner to be repositioned by someone other than the captioner, such as by a program originator. This capability is particularly useful when, for example, the program originator wishes to include a banner in a video but also wishes to avoid having a closed caption interfere with the banner. In one illustrative system, the program originator is a broadcast station that includes a conventional encoder and a broadcast station computer. In one arrangement, control data generated at the station computer is incorporated into the caption data by the station computer. In another arrangement, the control data is sent from the station computer to the captioner computer, which incorporates the control data into the caption data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for enabling a user thereof to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text, comprising:

a user input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects;

a component responsive to selective operation of any of the control elements for generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects; and

a first output for supplying the first control data apart from the caption text.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first input for receiving external caption data comprising the caption text and second control data, the second control data including portions obtained from the first control data; and

a second output for supplying the caption data received at the first input in a substantially unaltered form.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the first output and the first input are combined as a first bi-directional port; and

the second output comprises a second port different than the first port.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the first output and the first input are separate ports; and

the second output comprises a further separate port.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a component for configuring the first output and the first input to share a single communications connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a component for configuring the first output and the first input to use separate communications connections.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a monitor, wherein the selectively operable control elements comprise a plurality of active graphic controls displayable on the monitor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the monitor is a touch-sensitive monitor responsive to touch by the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus further comprises a selection device subject to manipulation by the user, the user input component further being responsive to the selection device for selective operation of any of the graphic controls.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the selection device is a mouse.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the selection device is a stylus, the monitor being a touch-sensitive monitor.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus further comprises a keyboard, the user input component further being responsive to selective operation of some of the keys of the keyboard.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus further comprises voice-operated controls, the user input component further being responsive to selected vocalizations received by the voice-operated controls.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the apparatus is a software programmable general purpose computer;

the user input component comprises a software component; and

the first control data generating component comprises a software component.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the apparatus is a special purpose machine;

the user input component comprises hardware; and

the first control data generating component comprises hardware.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first input;

a monitor, the control elements being active graphic controls displayable on the monitor; and

a component responsive to a signal at the first input confirming remote receipt of the first control data to generate a graphic indication on the monitor of the remote receipt of the first control data.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a component for composing a message based on input from the user;

a component for outputting the message on the first output; and

a component responsive to a signal at the first input confirming remote receipt of the message for generating a graphic indication on the monitor of the remote receipt of the message.

18. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a monitor, the control elements being active graphic controls displayable on the monitor;

a component responsive to a signal at the first input for generating a graphic indication on the monitor of a connection to a remote device furnishing the caption data;

a second input for connection to a closed captioning encoder; and

a component responsive to a signal at the second input for generating a graphic indication on the monitor of receipt by the closed captioning encoder of the caption data from the second output.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first control data comprises command codes from which control codes are obtainable; and

the second control data comprise control codes.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first control data comprises control codes; and

the second control data comprise control codes.

21. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the external caption data is supplemented with command codes, further comprising:

a component for separating the command codes from the external caption data received at the first input; and

a component responsive to the separating component for processing the command codes.

22. An apparatus for enabling a user thereof to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data, comprising:

a first input for receiving the caption data;

a user input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects;

a component responsive to selective operation of any of the control elements for generating control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects;

a component responsive to the first input and to the control data generating component for incorporating the control data into the caption data to create modified caption data; and

a first output for supplying the modified caption data.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the control data is a command code;

the caption data comprises caption text and a first control code for the caption text; and

the control data incorporating component comprises;

a component for generating a second control code from the command code; and

a component for replacing the first control code with the second control code.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the control data is a command code; and

the control data incorporating component comprises;

a component for generating a control code from the command code; and

a component for inserting the control code into the caption data.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the caption data comprises caption text and a first control code for the caption text;

the control data is a second control code; and

the control data incorporating component comprises a component for replacing the first control code with the second control code.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the control data is a control code; and

the control data incorporating component comprises a component for inserting the control code into the caption data.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the apparatus is a programmable general purpose computer;

the user input component comprises a software component;

the control data generating component comprises a software component; and

the control data incorporating component comprises a software component.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the apparatus is a special purpose machine;

the user input component comprises hardware;

the control data generating component comprises hardware; and

the control data incorporating component comprises hardware.

29. An apparatus for implementing control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data by a person other than a captioner, comprising:

a first input for receiving first control data apart from the caption data;

a component responsive to the first input for incorporating the first control data received at the first input into the caption data to create modified caption data; and

a first output for supplying the modified caption data.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a second input for receiving the caption data.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising:

a user input for generating caption text and second control data for the caption data; and

a component responsive to the user input for combining the second control data and the caption text to obtain the caption data.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the first input and the first output are combined as a first bi-directional port.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the first input and the first output are separate ports.

34. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a component for configuring the first input and the first output to share a single communications connection.

35. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a component for configuring the first input and the first output to use separate communications connections.

36. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

the apparatus is a software programmable general purpose computer; and

the first control data incorporating component comprises a software component.

37. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

the apparatus is a special purpose machine; and

the first control data incorporating component comprises hardware.

38. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

the first control data is a command code;

the second control data is a second control code; and

the first control data incorporating component comprises;

a component for generating a first control code from the command code; and

a component for replacing the second control code with the first control code.

39. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

the first control data is a command code; and

the first control data incorporating component comprises;

a component for generating a control code from the command code; and

a component for inserting the control code into the caption data.

40. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

the first control data is a first control code;

the second control data is a second control code; and

the first control data incorporating component comprises a component for replacing the second control code with the first control code.

41. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

the first control data is a control code; and

the first control data incorporating component comprises a component for inserting the control code into the caption data.

42. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus is a server located on an Internet, the first input and the first output being coupled to the Internet.

43. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus is a computer located at a captioner'"'"'s site.

44. A system for enabling a program director at a closed captioning encoding site to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text created by a captioner and contained in caption data, the system comprising:

a first apparatus located at the program origination site, the first apparatus comprising;

a monitor;

a plurality of selectively operable graphic control elements displayed on the monitor, the control elements being respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects and generating upon operation first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects;

a first input; and

a first output for supplying the first control data apart from the caption text;

a second apparatus removed from the program origination site, the second apparatus comprising;

a second input for receiving supplemental control data from the first output;

a programmable processor responsive to the second input for incorporating the first control data received at the second input into the caption data to create modified caption data; and

a second output for supplying the modified caption data to the first input; and

a communications link coupling the first apparatus and the second apparatus;

wherein the first apparatus further comprises a third output for supplying the modified caption data received at the first input.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the communications link comprises a modem-to-modem connection over a telephone system.

46. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the communications link comprises a network.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the network comprises a local area network.

48. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the network comprises an Internet.

49. A method for enabling a user thereof to exert control of various closed caption on text, comprising:

generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects;

generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption aspects in response to a selective operation of any of the control elements; and

supplying the first control data apart from the caption text.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising:

receiving external caption data comprising the caption text and second control second control data, the second control data including portions obtained from the first control data; and

supplying the caption data received at the first input in a substantially unaltered form.

51. A method for enabling a user thereof to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data, comprising:

receiving the caption data;

generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects;

generating control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, in response to selective operation of any of the control elements;

incorporating the control data into the caption data to create modified caption data; and

supplying the modified caption data.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein:

the control data is a command code;

the caption data comprises caption text and a first control code for the caption text; and

the incorporating step comprises;

generating a second control code from the command code; and

replacing the first control code with the second control code.

53. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein:

the control data is a command code; and

the incorporating step comprises;

generating a control code from the command code; and

inserting the control code into the caption data.

54. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein:

the caption data comprises caption text and a first control code for the caption text;

the control data is a second control code; and

the incorporating step comprises replacing the first control code with the second control code.

55. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein:

the control data is a control code; and

the incorporating step comprises inserting the control code into the caption data.

56. A method for implementing control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data by a person other than a captioner, comprising:

receiving first control data apart from the caption data;

incorporating the first control data into the caption data to create modified caption data; and

supplying the modified caption data.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

generating caption text and second control data for the caption data; and

combining the second control data and the caption text to obtain the caption data.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein:

the first control data is a command code;

the second control data is a second control code; and

the incorporating step comprises;

generating a first control code from the command code; and

replacing the second control code with the first control code.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein:

the first control data is a command code; and

the incorporating step comprises;

generating a control code from the command code; and

inserting the control code into the caption data.

60. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein:

the first control data is a first control code;

the second control data is a second control code; and

the incorporating step comprises replacing the second control code with the first control code.

61. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein:

the first control data is a control code; and

the incorporating step comprises inserting the control code into the caption data.

62. A method for processing caption data comprising:

receiving caption data, the caption data including control data;

removing the control data from the caption data to create modified caption data; and

supplying the modified caption data.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the control data comprises control codes.