ENHANCED CLOSED CAPTION FEATURE

• US 20140071343A1
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mizuno, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,628,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles

Abstract

Adjustments to the closed caption component of video content may be implemented by identifying text elements within the closed caption text component of a video stream and to properly adjust the appearance of the text elements. Embodiments described herein provide a method for detecting and correcting text elements that have spacing conflicts as a result of a size or other appearance adjustment. If the correction of a conflict results in a new conflict, such conflicts may be detected and one or more text elements grouped to form a new text element that may then be adjusted.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a text component with video data, comprising:

in response to a request to adjust the appearance of text displayed in video data, identifying a first text character in the text component, the text character positioned in a cell of a text area of video data;

creating a new text element containing the first text character;

determining if any of a plurality of text character cells adjacent to the first text character contains a text character;

adding any adjacent text characters to the text element; and

adjusting the appearance of the text element to adjust the display of the text characters in the text element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting comprises changing the size of the text characters in the text element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting comprises repositioning the text characters on the text area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting comprises adding a line break to the text characters of the text element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting comprises changing the font of the text characters in the text element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting comprises identifying the center of the text element and using the center as an anchor to adjust the text element.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if said adjusting creates a conflict wherein the text element cannot be properly displayed on the text area, readjusting the appearance of the text element.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said conflict indicates that at least a portion of the text element is outside the text area.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said conflict indicates that the text element overlaps with a portion of a second text element.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said readjusting comprises decreasing the size of the text characters in the text element.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprises

if said readjusting creates a second conflict:

grouping two or more text elements into a common text element, and

readjusting the appearance of the common text element.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying further comprises scanning each row of the text area.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises analyzing each cell adjacent to each text character added to the text element.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said text area comprises 15 rows and 32 cells per row.

15. A method for evaluating an adjustment to a text component of video data, comprising:

identifying a plurality of adjacent characters in the text component of the video data as belonging to a text element;

determining if a conflict exists such that the text element cannot be properly displayed on the text area; and

if a conflict exists, readjusting the appearance of the text element to adjust the display of the text characters in the text element.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprises

if said readjusting creates a conflict between the text element and a second text element:

grouping two or more text elements into a common text element, and

readjusting the appearance of the common text element.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said adjusting comprises changing the size of the text characters in the text element.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said adjusting comprises repositioning the text characters on the text area.

19. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

in response to a request to adjust the appearance of text displayed in video data, identify a first text character in the text component, the text character positioned in a cell of a text area of video data,

create a new text element containing the first text character,

determine if any of a plurality of text character cells adjacent to the first text character contain a text character,

add any adjacent text characters to the text element,

adjust the appearance of the text element to adjust the display of the text characters in the text element; and

a display to display the video data with the adjusted text component.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said adjusting comprises changing the size of the text characters in the text element.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said adjusting comprises repositioning the text characters on the text area.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor is further configured to readjust the appearance of the text element if the adjustment to the appearance of text characters in the text element creates a conflict wherein the text element cannot be properly displayed on the text area.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein if said readjusting creates a second conflict, said processing device is further configured to:

group two or more text elements into a common text element, and

readjust the appearance of the common text element.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising an input device for receiving the request as an input setting for adjusting the text component.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the device to:

in response to a request to adjust the appearance of text displayed in video data, identify a first text character in the text component, the text character positioned in a cell of a text area of video data;

create a new text element containing the first text character;

determine if any of a plurality of text character cells adjacent to the first text character contain a text character;

add any adjacent text characters to the text element; and

adjust the appearance of the text element to adjust the display of the text characters in the text element.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein said adjusting comprises changing the size of the text characters in the text element.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein said adjusting comprises repositioning the text characters on the text area.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein said processing device is further configured to readjust the appearance of the text element if the adjustment to the appearance of text characters in the text element creates a conflict wherein the text element cannot be properly displayed on the text area.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein if said readjusting creates a second conflict, said processing device is further configured to:

group two or more text elements into a common text element, and readjust the appearance of the common text element.