Method and apparatus for concealing portions of a video screen

• US 20080138030A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: So, Nicol, Bryan, David Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A simple, cost-effective, and robust method and system to obstruct crawls, logos, and other annoying and distracting images overlaid on a video signal and displayed on a TV set or monitor is provided. The method and system may detect the presence of the unwanted images and block them automatically, or they may accept manual input from the user via a handheld control device to block or obstruct these images.

Claims

1. A system for modifying video images, said system comprising:

a processing apparatus for displaying a video signal as an image on a screen, said image having a first portion and a second portion; and

a separate control device in communication with said processing apparatus and having a user interface for receiving user commands;

wherein said processing apparatus and said control device cooperate to selectively obstruct said first portion on said screen in response to said commands.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first portion is obstructed with a preselected image.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said first portion said first portion includes alphanumeric characters.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a blocking element performing said obstruction.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said blocking element includes a detector detecting said first portion.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said blocking element includes an image generating element generating an obstructing image for obstructing said first portion.

9. A The system of claim 8 wherein said obstructing image is a static image.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said obstructing image is a dynamic image that changes in accordance with a characteristic of at least one of said first and second portions.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said first portion is one of a text and a logo.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said first portion includes a scrolling text.

16. The method of claim 11 herein said command includes a user selection of a size and position of said first part, further comprising accepting the users selection of the size and position of said one part.

13. In a system in which video images are transmitted to a receiver, each image including a first part and a second part, a method of modifying said images comprising:

displaying said images;

receiving a command from a user; and

responsive to said command, blocking one of said parts so that said one part is no longer visible.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said receiver is associated with a user interface and a processor, further comprising:

selecting a respective key on said user interface, said key issuing a command to said processor to replace said first part with another video signal; and

responsive to said key selection, obstructing said first part with said another video signal on said screen.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising replacing said first part with a preselected image.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said command includes a color selection for said another video signal, further comprising accepting the users selection of the color of said another video signal.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said another video signal is an additional video signal extrapolated from said video signal.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the presence of said first portion is automatically detected.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said one part includes one of a text and a logo.