Apparatus, system, and method for filtering objectionable portions of a multimedia presentation

• US 20060031870A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clearplay Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clearplay Incorporated
• Inventors: Jarman, Matthew T., Seeley, Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/104,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031870A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/32 on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings

Abstract

A method for filtering portions of a multimedia presentation. A stream of multimedia media data read from a memory media is compared with a filter file associated with the multimedia data. The filter file includes a start position, a stop position, and a filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the multimedia data read from the media corresponds with the filter file, the designated filtering action is performed. Aspects of the invention also pertain to the format for the filter file, format for accessing filter files on a memory media.

Claims

1. A method of filtering portions of a multimedia content presentation, the method comprising:

accessing at least one filter file defining a filter start indicator and a filter action;

reading digital multimedia information from a memory media, the multimedia information including a location reference;

comparing the location reference of the multimedia information with the filter start indicator; and

responsive to the comparing operation, executing a filtering action if there is match between the location reference of the multimedia information and the filter start indicator of the at least one filterable portion of the multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter start indicator comprises a filter start time reference.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter start time reference is the form of Hour:

Minute;

Second;

Frame.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter start time indicator comprises a memory location identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the memory location identifier includes a memory sector identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the start time reference includes a logical block number associated with a video object unit.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one filter file includes a content identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one content identifier is selected from the group comprising violence, sex and nudity, language, and other.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital multimedia information comprises encoded video and audio data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the multimedia content information comprises motion pictures expert group (MPEG) encoded video and audio data.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising decoding the encoded video and audio data.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the operation of playing the decoded video and audio data.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising, prior to decoding the multimedia information, comparing the location reference of the multimedia information with the filter start indicator.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the operation of storing the digital multimedia information in a buffer memory.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the operation of comparing the location reference of the multimedia information in the buffer memory with the filter start indicator

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the memory media comprises an optical memory disc.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the optical memory disc is a DVD.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of executing a filtering action comprises deleting the multimedia information in the memory buffer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the operation of executing a filtering action comprises deleting the multimedia information in the memory buffer irrespective of whether the buffer contains some multimedia information not being filtered.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter file further comprises a filter end indicator.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the operation of executing a filtering action comprises the operation of causing the reading of digital multimedia information from a memory media operation to advance to the filter end indicator.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the filter end indicator comprises a filter end time reference.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the filter end time reference is the form of Hour:

Minute;

Second;

Frame.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the filter end indicator comprises a memory location identifier.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the memory location identifier includes a memory sector identifier.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the filter end indicator comprises a logical block number associated with a video object unit.

27. A multimedia player configured to perform the operations of claim 1.