System and method for obscuring a portion of a displayed image

• US 20040008278A1
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jerry Iggulden
• Original Assignee: Jerry Iggulden
• Inventors: Iggulden, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US10/192,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008278A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/553
• 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 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits

Abstract

System and method for obscuring a portion of a displayed image. A method includes displaying a menu which allows a viewer to specify screen blocking criteria. The screen blocking criteria are received, and a portion of a viewable screen image that typically includes crawling text is obscured or blocked from view based on the screen blocking criteria. The method may be implemented in a television, set top box or similar device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a screen blocking menu to a television viewer;

receiving viewer specified screen blocking criteria; and

obscuring a portion of a viewable screen image of a television broadcast based on the screen blocking criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the screen blocking criteria include at least one of a position and a size.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the screen blocking criteria further include color and opacity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the screen blocking criteria include a channel specification of at least one channel.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a user interface to allow the viewer to specify a position and a size of a blocking region.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

prompting the viewer to select whether the viewable screen image should be centered within a screen area.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving comprises:

processing a viewer request to block a portion of a currently displayed screen image that includes crawling text;

automatically detecting a crawling text region in the currently displayed screen image;

computing a position and a size of a blocking region based on the crawling text region; and

setting the viewer specified screen blocking criteria based on the blocking region.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving viewer confirmation that the viewer specified screen blocking criteria should be based on the blocking region.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing a user interface to allow the viewer to edit the position and the size of the blocking region.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

if the blocking region is adjacent to an edge of a screen area, prompting the viewer to select whether the viewable screen image should be centered within the screen area.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented on a television.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented on a set top box.

13. A method comprising:

providing a screen blocking menu to a television viewer; and

receiving a viewer selection concerning selective screen blocking of a television broadcast;

if the viewer selection is to activate selective screen blocking,

obtaining viewer criteria regarding a blocking region of the television broadcast,

obscuring the blocking region of the television broadcast,

displaying a remainder of the television broadcast.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the viewer criteria include at least one of a position, a size, a and an opacity of the blocking region.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the viewer criteria include a channel specification of at least one television channel.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the method is implemented on a television.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the method is implemented on a set top box.

18. A method comprising:

providing a screen blocking menu to a television viewer;

receiving screen blocking criteria for at least one portion of a viewable screen image of a television broadcast for at least one channel of a plurality of television channels; and

obscuring the at least one portion of the viewable screen image based on the screen blocking criteria.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the screen blocking criteria include at least one of a position, a size, and an opacity of the at least one portion of the viewable screen image.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the viewer criteria include a channel specification of at least one television channel.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the method is implemented on a television.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the method is implemented on a set top box.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

providing a user interface to allow the viewer to specify the screen blocking criteria.

24. A video device comprising:

a video display;

a user input processing unit;

a video processing unit; and

a storage device having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the video processing unit cause the video device to perform actions comprising,

displaying a screen blocking menu,

receiving user specified screen blocking criteria,

obscuring a portion of a viewable screen image based on the screen blocking criteria.

25. The video device of claim 24 wherein the screen blocking criteria include at least one of a position, a size, a color and an opacity.

26. The video device of claim 24 wherein the screen blocking criteria include a channel specification of at least one channel.

27. The video device of claim 24 having further instructions stored thereon which when executed by the video processing unit cause the video device to perform further actions comprising:

providing a user interface to allow the user to specify a position and a size of a blocking region.

28. The video device of claim 27 wherein receiving comprises:

processing a user request to block a portion of a currently displayed screen image that includes crawling text.

29. A device comprising:

means for displaying a screen blocking menu to a television viewer;

means for receiving viewer specified screen blocking criteria; and

means for obscuring a portion of a viewable screen image based on the screen blocking criteria.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the screen blocking criteria include at least one of a position, a size, a color and an opacity.

31. The device of claim 29 further comprising:

means for providing a user interface to allow the television viewer to specify a position of a blocking region.

32. The device of claim 29 further comprising:

means for processing a viewer request to block a portion of a currently displayed television broadcast that includes crawling text.