Apparatus and method for multimedia content based manipulation

• US 20060028488A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nice Ltd
• Original Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Shermister, Shai, Gabay, Shay, Sitbon, Doron, Levi, dafna
• Granted Patent: US 7,714,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/626
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• 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 21/4532 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 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for multimedia content based manipulation. The method comprises the masking at least one part of the segment of an interaction, said masking can include the hiding, blurring, or alternatively, the enhancing or focusing on a region of interest.

Claims

1. A method for content based masking of video, audio or screen streams, said stream comprising at least one interaction, the method comprising generating content masking on at least a part of the at least one interaction based on events, or metadata or content user data, associated with the least one interaction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of obtaining metadata associated with the at least one interaction from a content input device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises the step of masking the metadata obtained from the content input device and associated with the at least one interaction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the screen comprises any one of the following:

a display device, a computer screen, a video screen, a television screen a portable device screen.

5. The method for claim 1 wherein the generation of content masking of the at least one interaction is altered based on at least one user request.

6. The method for claim 1 further comprises the step of analyzing the obtained metadata or the stream associated with the at least one interaction.

7. The method for claim 1 further comprising the step of associating the metadata associated with the at least one interaction with a segment of the interaction for which content masking is generated.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of selecting an at least one content masking to be performed on the at least one interaction to be masked.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of altering at least a part of the interaction to be masked.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of inserting an at least one content masking element into the stream associated with the at least one interaction be masked.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating content masking comprises generating content masking from the stream obtained and associated with the at least one interaction.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating content masking comprises generating content masking from the stream obtained and associated with the at least one interaction and subsequently masked.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating content masking comprises generating content masking from a first masked content and a second masked content, each said masked content is associated with an at least one interaction.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating content masking is associated on at least one previous generation of content masking or on a previously performed action by the user or an element of the apparatus of the present invention.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is multimedia content.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the content user data is multimedia content user data.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein masking is one of the following:

hiding of information;

replacing of information;

blurring of images or information;

preventing recording of information;

denying access;

enhancing a region of interest;

improving visibility of an image or information;

encrypting of information;

manipulation of multimedia content based on actions associated with rules.

18. An apparatus for content based masking of video, audio or screen streams, said stream comprising at least one interaction, the apparatus comprising a content masking generator for generating content masking on at least a part of the at least one interaction based on events, or metadata or content user data, associated with the at least one interaction.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises a metadata capture device for obtaining metadata associated with the at least one interaction.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises at least one capture device to capture video, audio or screen stream.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprises a metadata analysis device for analyzing the metadata obtained from the metadata capture device and associated with the at least one interaction.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the screen comprises any one of the following:

a display device, a computer screen, a video screen, a television screen a portable device screen.

23. The apparatus for claim 18 further comprising a masking methods device to provide an at least one content masking method to the content masking generator to be applied to content associated with the at least one interaction.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the generation of content masking of the at least one interaction is altered based on at least one user request.

25. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises an event identification device to recognize events in content associated with the at least one interaction and based on the results of the analysis of the content, metadata or user data captured or obtained.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises a request handler to generate displays and to respond to commands associated with multimedia display requests, and a masked streaming device to generate selectively masked content associated with the at least one interaction.

27. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the masking content generator alters at least a part of the interaction to be masked.

28. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the masking content generator inserts an at least one content masking element into the stream associated with the at least one interaction to be masked.

29. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the content to be masked is multimedia content.

30. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the content user data is multimedia content user data.

31. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein masking is one of the following:

hiding of information;

replacing of information;

blurring of images or information;

preventing recording of information;

denying access;

enhancing a region of interest;

improving visibility of an image or information;

encrypting of information;

manipulation of multimedia content based on actions associated with rules.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the events identification device identifies single events.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the event identification identifies recognizes compound events.

34. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises a masked storage to store selectively masked content.

35. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises an unmasked storage to store unmasked content.

36. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises at least one triggering device to activate or control content capture, content recording, content storage, or content masking activation.