Method and apparatus for analyzing subtitles in a video

• US 20050071888A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ratliff, Emily Jane, Girouard, Janice Marie, Hamzy, Mark Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/674,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• 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 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4663 involving probabilistic networks, e.g. Bayesian networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing video data. Text in the subtitles in the multimedia program data is identified to generate a set of text. The set of text is analyzed to form an analysis. A video segment that should be altered based on the analysis is identified to form an identified video segment and this identified segment is altered. Additionally, color corrections may be performed to enhance the visibility of text in subtitles.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for processing multimedia program data, the method comprising:

identifying text in the subtitles in the multimedia program data to generate a set of text;

analyzing the set of text to form an analysis;

identifying a portion of the multimedia program data that should be altered based on the analysis to form an identified portion; and

altering the identified portion

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises:

performing optical character recognition on subtitles in the multimedia program data to generate the set of text

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the multimedia program data includes a video component and an audio component and wherein the identified portion is altered by blanking at least one of the video portion and the audio portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing step includes:

performing baysean filtering on the set of text.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

decoding the multimedia program data prior to initiating the performing step; and

re-encoding the multimedia program data after altering the identified portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the multimedia program data is a frame or a group of frames.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia program is a movie.

8. A method in a data processing system for processing a multimedia program, the method comprising:

decoding the multimedia program to form decoded multimedia program data;

analyzing a portion of the multimedia program data;

determining whether readability of a subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needs improvement; and

responsive to the readability of the subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needing improvement, performing color correction on a part of the multimedia program data containing the subtitle to improve readability of the subtitle.

9. A data processing system for processing multimedia program data, the data processing system comprising:

identifying means identifying text in the subtitles in the multimedia program data to generate a set of text;

analyzing means for analyzing the set of text to form an analysis;

identifying means for identifying a portion of the multimedia program data that should be altered based on the analysis to form an identified portion; and

altering means for altering the identified portion.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the portion of the multimedia program data includes a video component and an audio component and wherein the identified portion is altered by blanking at least one of the video portion and the audio portion.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the analyzing step includes:

performing means for performing baysean filtering on the set of text.

12. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising:

decoding means for decoding the multimedia program data prior to initiating the performing step; and

re-encoding means for re-encoding the multimedia program data after altering the identified portion.

13. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the portion of the multimedia program data is a frame or a group of frames.

14. A data processing system for processing a multimedia program, the data processing system comprising:

decoding means for decoding the multimedia program to form decoded multimedia program data;

analyzing means for analyzing a portion of the multimedia program data;

determining means for determining whether readability of a subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needs improvement; and

performing means, responsive to the readability of the subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needing improvement, for performing color correction on a part of the multimedia program data containing the subtitle to improve readability of the subtitle.

15. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing multimedia program data, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for identifying text in the subtitles in the multimedia program data to generate a set of text;

second instructions for analyzing the set of text to form an analysis;

third instructions for identifying a portion of the multimedia program data that should be altered based on the analysis to form an identified portion; and

fourth instructions for altering the identified portion.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the portion of the multimedia program data includes a video component and an audio component and wherein the identified portion is altered by blanking at least one of the video portion and the audio portion.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second instructions includes:

sub instructions for performing baysean filtering on the set of text.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

fifth instructions for decoding the multimedia program data prior to initiating the performing step; and

sixth instructions for re-encoding the multimedia program data after altering the identified portion.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the portion of the multimedia program data is a frame or a group of frames.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing a multimedia program, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions multimedia for decoding the multimedia program to form decoded program data;

second instructions for analyzing a portion of the multimedia program data;

third instructions for determining whether readability of a subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needs improvement; and

fourth instructions responsive to the readability of the subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needing improvement, for performing color correction on the part of the multimedia program data containing the subtitle to improve readability of the subtitle.

21. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to identifying text in the subtitles in the multimedia program data to generate a set of text;

analyze the set of text to form an analysis;

identify a portion of the multimedia program data that should be altered based on the analysis to form an identified portion; and

alter the identified portion.

22. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to decode the multimedia program to form decoded multimedia program data;

analyze a portion of the multimedia program data;

determine whether readability of a subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needs improvement; and

perform color correction on the part of the multimedia program data containing the subtitle to improve readability of the subtitle in response to the readability of the subtitle in the portion of the multimedia program data needing improvement.