SYSTEM FOR ISOLATING AN OBJECT IN A BROADCAST SIGNAL

• US 20070160123A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Richard Gillespie
• Original Assignee: Richard Gillespie
• Inventors: Gillespie, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/306,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20070160123A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/48 for recognising items expressed in broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00

Abstract

A system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal is disclosed. The system scans the broadcast signal for at least one identifiable object and selectively filters the broadcast signal. In selectively filtering the broadcast signal, the identifiable object is selectively passed or removed from the broadcast signal. The identifiable object can include, but is not limited to, an image or a logo (such as a company or brand image, which may or may not be a trademarked image). The identifiable object can also include, but it not limited to an audio clip, such a word, phrase, or name. In various preferred embodiments, each frame of the broadcast signal is scanned and analyzed for the identifiable object.

Claims

1. A system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal, comprising:

computer implemented means for scanning said broadcast signal for at least one identifiable object, and

computer implemented means for selectively filtering said broadcast signal, wherein said identifiable object is selectively passed or removed from said broadcast signal.

2. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 1, wherein said computer implemented means for scanning said broadcast signal for at least one identifiable object comprises:

computer implemented means for scanning each frame of said broadcast signal, and computer implemented means for analyzing each of said frames for said at least one identifiable object.

3. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 2, wherein said computer implemented means for analyzing each of said frames for said at least one identifiable object comprises computer implemented means for processing each frame through at least one neural network, wherein said at least one neural network has computer implemented means for recognizing said at least one identifiable object.

4. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises computer implemented means for tracking the number of times said at least one identifiable object is selectively passed or removed from said broadcast signal.

5. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 1, wherein said at least one identifiable object comprises an image.

6. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 5, wherein said image comprises a logo.

7. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 1, wherein said at least one identifiable object comprises an audio clip.

8. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 7, wherein said audio clip comprises a name.

9. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 7, wherein said audio clip comprises a phrase.

10. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 7, wherein said audio clip comprises a word.

11. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 5, wherein said identifiable object is removed from said broadcast signal comprises fading said image.

12. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 5, wherein said identifiable object is removed from said broadcast signal comprises obscuring said image.

13. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 5, wherein said identifiable object is removed from said broadcast signal comprises replacing said image with another image.

14. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 7, wherein said identifiable object is removed from said broadcast signal comprises muting said audio clip.

15. The system for isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 5, wherein said identifiable object is removed from said broadcast signal comprises replacing said audio clip with another audio clip.

16. A method of isolating an object in a broadcast signal comprising the steps of:

scanning said broadcast signal for at least one identifiable object, and

selectively filtering said broadcast signal, wherein said identifiable object is selectively passed or removed from said broadcast signal.

17. The method of isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 16, scanning said broadcast signal for at least one identifiable object comprises:

scanning each frame of said broadcast signal, and

analyzing each of said frames for said at least one identifiable object.

18. The method of isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 17, wherein analyzing each of said frames for said at least one identifiable object comprises processing each frame through at least one neural network, wherein said at least one neural network has computer implemented means for recognizing said at least one identifiable object.

19. The method of isolating an object in a broadcast signal according to claim 16, wherein said method further comprises the step of tracking the number of times said at least one identifiable object is selectively passed or removed from said broadcast signal.