Detection rules for a digital video recorder

• US 20030210889A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AdaptFlow Technologies LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Engle, Joseph C., Odutola, Akinyemi
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/375 Commercial
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/908 Pause control, i.e. "commercial killers"

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and system for identifying commercial message segments of a video signal. A set of rules is applied for determining the occurrence of commercial messages with a higher degree of accuracy as compared to conventional methods. In general, method includes the steps of monitoring a digital bit stream comprising the video signal, detecting a change in a control field of the digital bit stream, and then selectively generating a commercial event notification responsive to the detecting step. According to one aspect of the invention, a change in at least one of a video sequence header and a sequence display extension can be detected. Alternatively, or in addition to checking for a change in control field, the method can comprise the step of detecting a change in an informational parameter of the video signal exclusive of the audio-visual content.

Claims

1. A method for identifying commercial message segments of a video signal, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a digital bit stream comprising said video signal;

detecting a change in an informational parameter of said video signal exclusive of said audio-visual content; and

selectively generating a commercial event notification responsive to said detecting step.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of detecting a change in copyright information encoded in said digital bit stream.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising the step of detecting a change in GOP composition information.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising the step of detecting a change in GOP composition information selected from the group consisting of a number of frames and a picture type sequence information for each GOP.

5. The method according to claim 4 comprising the further step of determining said picture type sequence information based on an order of I, B and P pictures in each said GOP.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising the step of detecting a change in a control field of said digital bit stream.

7. The method according to claim 2, comprising the step of detecting a change in at least one of a video sequence header and a sequence display extension.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of a splice table in said digital bit stream;

comparing a timing of said commercial event notification indicating the occurrence of a commercial message, to commercial message insertion data contained in said splice schedule; and

,

verifying the presence of a commercial message based on said comparing step.

9. A system for identifying commercial message segments of a video signal, comprising:

a digital bit stream monitor for monitoring a digital bit stream comprising said video signal;

a digital video processor for detecting a change in an informational parameter of said video signal exclusive of said audio-visual content; and

means for selectively generating a commercial event notification responsive to said detected change.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said digital video processor further comprises means for detecting a change in copyright information encoded in said digital bit stream.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said digital video processor further comprises means for detecting a change in GOP composition information.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said digital video processor further comprises means for detecting a change in GOP composition information selected from the group consisting of a number of frames and a picture type sequence information for each GOP.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said digital video processor further comprises means for determining said picture type sequence information based on an order of I, B and P pictures in each said GOP.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein said digital video processor further comprises means for detecting a change in a control field of said digital bit stream.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein said digital video processor further comprises means for detecting a change in at least one of a video sequence header and a sequence display extension.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein said digital bit stream monitor further comprises means for detecting the presence of a splice table in said digital bit stream and further comprising:

processing means for comparing a timing of said commercial event notification indicating the occurrence of a commercial message, to commercial message insertion data contained in said splice schedule and for verifying the presence of a commercial message based on said comparing step.