Method and apparatus for eliminating television commercial messages

• US 5,692,093 A
• Filed: 01/04/1994
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Televentions LLC
• Original Assignee: SRT, Inc.
• Inventors: Iggulden, Jerry, McFarland, Alan, Lipoff, Stuart J., Wu, Jung-Ming, Caro, Richard H., Debs, Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US08/177,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/908, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 360/33.1, 360/69, 360/71, 360/74.5
• US Class Current: 386/249
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/087 by sensing recorded signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/1816 Programmed access in sequence to indexed parts of operating tapes cooperating with rotating heads see provisional also G11B15/005
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/1875 adaptations for special effects or editing signal processing or indexing therefor G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/91 Helical scan format, wherein tracks are slightly tilted with respect to tape direction, e.g. VHS, DAT, DVC, AIT or exabyte
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/24 by sensing features on the record carrier other than the transducing track ; sensing signals or marks recorded by another method than the main recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3036 Time code signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3054 Vertical Interval Time code [VITC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/323 : Time code signal, e.g. on a cue track as SMPTE- or EBU-time code
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/324 : Duty cycle modulation of control pulses, e.g. VHS-CTL-coding systems, RAPID-time code, VASS- or VISS-cue signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/328 : on a tape [TTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 : Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/375 : Commercial
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 : for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/142 : Detection of scene cut or scene change
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/179 : the unit being a scene or a shot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/87 : involving scene cut or scene change detection in combination with video compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 : the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/78263 : for recording on tracks inclined relative to the direction of movement of the tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/002 : Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/908 : Pause control, i.e. "commercial killers"

Abstract

During recording of a television signal on a VCR, data are accumulated with respect to the time of occurrence and duration of detectable events, such as blank frames, in the television signal, and such data are stored. Timing reference data are written onto the tape as it is recorded. At a time subsequent to the recording process, the stored data are analyzed to classify the content of the television signal between the detectable events and a playback map is constructed for the recorded signal. During playback, the stored playback map is retrieved and stored timing data are compared to the timing reference data read from the tape. The VCR is automatically commanded into a fast scan mode when the tape reaches the beginning time of a portion of the video signal that has been classified for elimination during playback. The VCR is then automatically commanded to return to the normal "play" mode when the tape reaches the ending time of that portion of the video signal. Since all of the television signal is recorded on the tape, any or all of the signal may be viewed, even if portions of it have been misclassified.

Claims

1. A video recording and playback system comprising:

(a) a video recorder/player having a record mode, a play mode and a fast scan mode;

(b) a recording medium for insertion into the video recorder/player so as to record a video signal thereon in the record mode and play the video signal recorded thereon in the play mode, said video signal including program material and commercial message material;

(c) event detection means for detecting events within the video signal;

(d) a first data memory for storing times of occurrence of the events in the record mode;

(e) means for analyzing the times of occurrence of the events to classify segments of the video signal between events as either program material or commercial message material;

(f) a second data memory for storing a playback map identifying segments of the video signal classified as commercial message material;

(g) means for selecting between the fast scan mode and the play mode of the video recorder/player during playback of the recording medium having the video signal recorded thereon so as to scan past the segments of the video signal classified as commercial message material.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the recording medium is a videotape.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the recording medium is an optical disc.

4. A method of automatically eliminating portions of a recorded video program comprising the steps of:

(a) recording a video signal on a recording medium;

(b) monitoring the video signal as it is recorded to detect events therein;

(c) storing data representative of a time of occurrence of each event;

(d) analyzing the data to classify segments of the video signal between events as one of a first and second type;

(e) storing a playback map containing entries, each of which identifies a segment of the video signal classified as the second type;

(f) playing the recording medium to reproduce the video signal recorded thereon;

(g) rapidly scanning past each said segment of the video signal classified as the second type.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the events detected in the video signal comprise black frames.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the events are detected by comparing the video signal to a threshold black level.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the events detected in the video signal comprise silent frames.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of analyzing data comprises analyzing the spacing and duration of events.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of analyzing data performed subsequent to recording an entire video program on the recording medium.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of analyzing data comprises calculation of a polynomial expression to assign a weighted value to each event.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the polynomial expression includes terms computed as a function of surrounding events.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the playback map is recorded on the recording medium.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the recording medium is a videotape.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein the recording medium is an optical disc.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the recording medium is a videotape.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the recording medium is an optical disc.

17. A video recording system comprising:

(a) a video recorder;

(b) a recording medium for insertion into the video recorder so as to record a video signal thereon;

(c) a first data memory for storing data representative of respective times of occurrence of a plurality of events in the video signal as the video signal is recorded;

(d) means for analyzing the data stored in the first data memory to classify segments of the video signal between events as one of a first and second type;

(e) a second data memory for storing a playback map of the recorded video signal, said playback map having a plurality of entries, each entry identifying one of said segments of the video signal that have been classified as the second type.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the recording medium is a videotape.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the recording medium is an optical disc.

20. A video recording system comprising:

(a) a video recorder for recording a video signal;

(b) means for detecting events within the video signal as it is recorded;

(c) a data memory for storing data representative of respective times of occurrence of a plurality of said detected events within the video signal;

(d) means for analyzing the data stored in the data memory to classify segments of the video signal between events as being one of a first type for retention during playback and a second type for elimination during playback;

(e) means for storing a playback map of the recorded video signal, said playback map having a plurality of entries, each entry identifying a segment of the video signal to be eliminated during playback.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

(i) a video player for playing the recorded video signal;

(ii) means for causing the video player to rapidly scan past each said segment of the video signal identified in the playback map as a segment to be eliminated during playback.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for storing the playback map comprises a recording medium on which the video signal is recorded.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the recording medium is a videotape.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the recording medium is an optical disc.