Enabling a display of closed captioning status upon detecting a code of a proper subset of closed-caption data codes

• US 5,428,400 A
• Filed: 01/29/1993
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Henry, Paul D., Landis, Michael D., Forler, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/010,822
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 358/147, 358/142, 358/146, 358/188, 358/183, 358/22, 348/461, 348/465, 348/564, 348/569
• US Class Current: 348/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles

Abstract

In a television system including closed caption circuitry for receiving and decoding closed caption data, a controller continually monitors the closed caption circuitry for an indication of the presence of any of a plurality of predetermined valid closed caption data codes. Every time any of the predetermined valid closed caption data codes is detected, a timer is reset to begin timing a predetermined time interval, and an on-screen display indicating that closed caption data are available is enabled. If a subsequent one of the predetermined valid closed caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of the time interval, then the on-screen display indicating that closed caption data are available is disabled. In another embodiment of the invention, a lamp is illuminated to indicate the availability of useful closed-caption data.

Claims

1. A detector for detecting the presence of closed-caption data in a video signal, comprising:

means for receiving and decoding said closed-caption data;

said closed-captioned data including a proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

control means for continually monitoring said decoded closed-caption data for an indication of the presence of any of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

means for timing a predetermined time period, said means for timing being controlled by said control means;

said control means resetting said timing means to begin timing a predetermined time interval, and enabling generation of a message indicating availability of closed-caption data upon detecting any of said proper subset of said closed-caption data codes;

said control means disabling generation of said message if a subsequent one of said proper subset of said closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of said time interval.

2. A detector for detecting the presence of closed-caption data in a video signal, comprising:

means for receiving and decoding said closed-caption data;

said closed-captioned data including a proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

control means for continually monitoring said decoded closed-caption data for an indication of the presence of any of said proper subset of said closed-caption data codes;

means for timing a predetermined time interval, said means for timing being controlled by said control means;

said control means resetting said timing means to begin timing said predetermined time interval, and enabling generation of a message indicating availability of closed-caption data upon detecting any of said proper subset of said closed-caption data codes;

said control means disabling generation of said message if a subsequent one of said proper subset of said closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of said time interval;

wherein said proper subset of said closed-caption data codes includes ROLL UP 2 (RU2), ROLL UP 3 (RU3), ROLL UP 4 (RU4), RESUME DIRECT CAPTIONING (RDC), and END OF CAPTIONING (EOC).

3. The detector of claim 2 wherein said predetermined time interval is in the range of 10 to 60 seconds.

4. A method for detecting the presence of closed-caption data in a video signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving and decoding said closed-caption data, saint closed-captioned data including a proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

continually monitoring said decoded closed-caption data for an indication of the presence of any of a plurality of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

controlling a timer to time a predetermined time period;

resetting said timer to begin timing said predetermined time period, and enabling generation of a message indicating availability of closed-caption data upon detecting any of said said proper subset of closed-caption data codes; and

disabling generation of said message if a subsequent one of said said proper subset of closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of said time period.

5. A method for detecting the presence of closed-caption data in a video signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving and decoding said closed-caption data, said closed-captioned data including a proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

continually monitoring said decoded closed-caption data for an indication of the presence of any of a plurality of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

controlling a timer to time a predetermined time period;

resetting said timer to begin timing said predetermined time period, and enabling generation of a message indicating availability of closed-caption data upon detecting any of said said proper subset of closed-caption data codes; and

disabling generation of said message if a subsequent one of said said proper subset of closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of said time period;

wherein said proper subset of closed-caption data codes includes ROLL UP 2 (RU2), ROLL UP 3 (RU3), ROLL UP 4 (RU4), RESUME DIRECT CAPTIONING (RDC), and END OF CAPTIONING (EOC).

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said predetermined time period is in the range of 10 to 60 seconds.

7. In a television system including closed-caption circuitry for receiving and decoding closed-caption data, apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data input by a user;

a controller for continually monitoring said closed-caption circuitry for an indication of the presence of any of a proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

a timer coupled to said controller for timing a predetermined time period;

a storage location for storing a flag bit in one of a set or reset state;

said controller resetting said timer to begin timing said predetermined time period, and setting said flag bit upon detecting any of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

said controller resetting said flag bit if a subsequent one of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of the time period; and

an on-screen display for providing a status message under control of said controller in response to said data input by a user;

said controller causing said on-screen display to display a status message indicating that closed-caption data are available in response to said input by said user and in response to said flag bit being set.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said proper subset of closed-caption data codes includes ROLL UP 2 (RU2), ROLL UP 3 (RU3), ROLL UP 4 (RU4), RESUME DIRECT CAPTIONING (RDC), and END OF CAPTIONING (EOC).

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said predetermined time period is in the range of 10 to 60 seconds.

10. A television receiver, comprising:

means for selecting one of a plurality of a television signals, each of which may be encoded with closed-caption data;

means for entering data in response to operation by a user;

means for acquiring said closed-captioned data from said television signal and decoding said closed-captioned data, said closed-captioned data including a proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

control means coupled to said acquiring means for receiving and examining said closed-captioned data for correspondence to one of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes; and

on-screen display and graphics generator means coupled to said control means for producing text characters for display in response to data entered by a user, and in response to a selection of one of said plurality of television signals;

said control means, further including timing means for timing a predetermined period, said control means controlling said timing means to begin timing said predetermined period in response to a detection of one of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes;

said control means enabling generation of a message informing said user of the availability of closed-caption data in response to said detection of said one of said proper subset of closed-caption data codes, and disables the generation of said message informing said user of the availability of closed-caption data in response to the expiration of said predetermined time period;

said control means causing said on screen display means to display said message informing said user of the availability of closed-caption data upon selecting a television signal if said generation of said message is enabled, and said control means causing said on screen display means to display said message informing said user of the availability of closed-caption data in response to said user-entered data if said generation of said message is enabled.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said proper subset of closed-caption data codes includes ROLL UP 2 (RU2), ROLL UP 3 (RU3), ROLL UP 4 (RU4), RESUME DIRECT CAPTIONING (RDC), and END OF CAPTIONING (EOC).

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said predetermined time period is in the range of 10 to 60 seconds.

13. A television receiver, comprising:

means for selecting one of a plurality of a television signals, each of which may be encoded with closed-caption data;

means for entering data in response to operation by a user;

means for acquiring text mode data associated with a closed-caption system from said television signal and decoding said text mode data;

control means coupled to said means for acquiring for receiving and examining said text mode data for correspondence to one of a predetermined proper subset of text mode commands; and

on-screen display generator means coupled to said control means for producing text characters for display in response to data entered by a user, and in response to a selection of one of said plurality of television signals;

said control means, further including timing means for timing a predetermined period, said control means controlling said timing means to begin timing said predetermined period in response to a detection of one of said proper subset of text mode commands;

said control means enabling generation of a message informing said user of the availability of text mode data in response to said detection of said one of said predetermined proper subset of text mode commands, and disables the generation of said message informing said user of the availability of text mode data in response to the expiration of said predetermined time period;

said control means causing said on screen display means to display said message informing said user of the availability of closed-caption data upon selecting a television signal if said generation of said message is enabled, and control means causing said on screen display means to display said message informing said user of the availability of text mode data in response to said user-entered data if said generation of said message is enabled.

14. A television receiver, comprising:

means for selecting one of a plurality of a television signals, each of which may be encoded with closed-caption data;

means for entering data in response to operation by a user;

means for acquiring text mode data associated with a closed-caption system from said television signal and decoding said text mode data;

control means coupled to said acquiring means for receiving and examining said text mode data for correspondence to one of a predetermined proper subset of text mode commands; and

on-screen display generator means coupled to said control means for producing text characters for display in response to data entered by a user, and in response to a selection of one of said plurality of television signals;

said control means, further including timing means for timing a predetermined period, said control means controlling said timing means to begin timing said predetermined period in response to a detection of one of said proper subset of text mode commands;

said control means enabling generation of a message informing said user of the availability of text mode data in response to said detection of said one of said predetermined proper subset of text mode commands, and disables the generation of said message informing said user of the availability of text mode data in response to the expiration of said predetermined time period;

said control means causing said on screen display means to display said message informing said user of the availability of closed-caption data upon selecting a television signal if said generation of said message is enabled, and control means causing said on screen display means to display said message informing said user of the availability of text mode data in response to said user-entered data if said generation of said message is enabled; and

,

said predetermined proper subset of text mode commands includes TEXT RESTART (TR) and RESUME TEXT DISPLAY (RTD).

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said predetermined time period is in the range of 10 to 60 seconds.

16. A detector for detecting the presence of closed-caption data in a video signal, comprising:

means for receiving and decoding said closed-caption data;

control means for continually monitoring said decoded closed-caption data for an indication of the presence of any of a predetermined proper subset of valid closed-caption data codes;

means for timing a predetermined time period, said means for timing being controlled by said control means;

a lamp for indicating presence of closed-caption data;

said control means resetting said timing means to begin timing said predetermined time period, and illuminating said lamp upon detecting any of said predetermined proper subset of valid closed-caption data codes;

said control means extinguishing said lamp if a subsequent one of said predetermined proper subset of valid closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of said time period.

17. A detector for detecting the presence of closed-caption data in a video signal, comprising:

means for receiving and decoding said closed-caption data;

control means for continually monitoring said decoded closed-caption data for an indication of the presence of any of a predetermined proper subset of valid closed-caption data codes;

means for timing a predetermined time period, said means for timing being controlled by said control means; and

a lamp for indicating presence of closed-caption data;

said control means resetting said timer to begin timing a predetermined time period, and illuminating said lamp upon detecting any of said predetermined proper subset of valid closed caption data codes;

said control means extinguishing said lamp if a subsequent one of said predetermined proper subset of valid closed-caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of said time period; and

said lamp is an LED.