Viewer controlled multi-function system for processing television signals

• US 6,553,566 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1999
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ADDnCLICK, Inc., Beryl Wolk, ROBERT AND JUDY GRANT
• Original Assignee: X Out Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Judy J., Yurth, David G., Robinson, Jack D., Grant, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOYE, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/384,606
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/27, 725/28, 725/31, 725/136, 725/137, 348/465, 348/468, 348/565
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0881 the signal being time-compressed before its insertion and subsequently decompressed at reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for manipulating video, audio, closed-captioned and compressed video packet data embedded in video programming signals includes a video signal processor for embedding data into a broadcast video signal prior to broadcast, the video signal containing at least one of video information, audio information, closed-captioned information and video packet data information. The embedded data is embedded in at least one predetermined line of at least one predetermined frame of the video program signal. An instruction defining a predetermined screening format for at least one of the video information, the audio information, the closed-captioned information and the video packet data information is stored and a circuit is responsive to the embedded data and the stored instruction for reproducing the information in the video signal in a predetermined screening format.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manipulating information embedded in video program signals comprising:

an input means having an input for receiving a video program signal, said input means recognizing and segregating a selected portion of the video program signal as a data signal at an output;

a digital signal processor having an input connected to said input means output for modifying the data signal to exclude objectionable content and generating the modified data signal at an output;

a radio frequency modulator having an input connected to said digital signal processor output and being responsive to the modified data signal for generating a modified video program signal recognizable by a standard television signal decoder circuit whereby the objectionable content is not available to a viewer upon subsequent display of the modified video program signal; and

wherein said input means includes a compressed video packet microcontroller for recognizing and segregating a compressed video packet information portion of the video program signal and generating the data signal as a compressed video packet data signal, said digital signal processor processes the compressed video packet data signal and generates the processed compressed video packet data signal, and said radio frequency modulator generates the modified video program signal with a picture-in-picture image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said input means includes microcontroller means for recognizing and segregating at least one of video, audio and closed-captioned information embedded in the video program signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said microcontroller means includes a video microcontroller for recognizing and segregating a video information portion of the video program signal and generating the data signal as a video data signal, said digital signal processor modifies the video data signal to exclude objectionable content and generates the modified video data signal, and said radio frequency modulator generates the modified video program signal with objectionable video frames scrambled.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said microcontroller means includes an audio microcontroller for recognizing and segregating an audio information portion of the video program signal and generating the data signal as an audio data signal, said digital signal processor modifies the audio data signal to exclude objectionable content and generates the modified audio data signal, and said radio frequency modulator generates the modified video program signal with objectionable words muted.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said microcontroller means includes a closed-captioned microcontroller for recognizing and segregating a closed-captioned information portion of the video program signal and generating the data signal as a closed-captioned data signal, said digital signal processor modifies the closed-captioned data signal to exclude objectionable content and generates the modified closed-captioned data signal, and said radio frequency modulator generates the modified video program signal with objectionable closed-captioned text deleted.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said digital signal processor includes a memory for storing the compressed video packet information portion of the video program signal for processing at a later time.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a remote control for generating control signals upon actuation by a viewer and wherein said digital signal processor is responsive to the control signals to select a security level from at least two security levels of at least one of video security, audio security and closed-captioned security.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radio frequency modulator generates the picture-in-picture image in a form capable of being displayed as a full screen image by a standard television.

9. A method for modifying a selected portion of a video program signal comprising the steps of:

a. recognizing and segregating a selected portion of a video program signal as a data signal;

b. recognizing components of the data signal as being objectionable to a viewer;

c. modifying the data signal to exclude objectionable content; and

d. generating the modified data signal as a modified video program signal recognizable by a standard television signal decoder circuit whereby the objectionable content is not available to a viewer upon subsequent display of the modified video program signal wherein said step a. is performed on a compressed video packet information portion of the video program signal said steps b. and c. are performed by processing the closed-captioned information and said step d. is performed by generating the modified video program signal with a picture-in-picture image.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step a. is performed on a video information portion of the video program signal, said steps b. and c. are performed by modifying the video information to exclude objectionable content and said step d. is performed by generating the modified video program signal with objectionable video frames scrambled.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step a. is performed on an audio information portion of the video program signal, said steps b. and c. are performed by modifying the audio information to exclude objectionable content and said step d. is performed by generating the modified video program signal with objectionable words muted.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step a. is performed on a closed-captioned information portion of the video program signal, said steps b. and c. are performed by modifying the closed-captioned information to exclude objectionable content and said step d. is performed by generating the modified video program signal with objectionable closed-captioned text deleted.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein said digital signal processor includes a memory for storing the compressed video packet information portion of the video program signal and said steps b., c. and d. are performed at a later time.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step a. is performed on a video information portion of the video program signal, said steps b. and c. are performed by modifying the video information to exclude objectionable content and said step d. is performed by generating the modified video program signal with objectionable video frames deleted.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step d. is performed by generating the picture-in-picture image in a form capable of being displayed as a full screen image by a standard television.