Video review apparatus and method

• US 6,704,491 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mei California, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Revis, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US09/492,828
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.591, 386/94, 386/52, 386/46, 386/55, 386/125-126
• US Class Current: 386/261
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00159 Parental control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

The invention provides a method of quickly previewing user selected portions of a DVD or other stored work having a questionable rating without having to view the entire work. By utilizing the rating information contained in the scene, a scene can be called up for review and a decision can be made quickly whether or not to accept or reject that particular scene for playback during the playback of the entire work. Discrete scenes of the work may be approved or disapproved for viewing individually or collectively, and in some cases, alternative, less offensive scenes may be substituted in place of rejected scenes. These accepted scenes may be combined with other scenes, that have a rating less than that originally chosen by user, for later seamless viewing of the work.

Claims

1. A method for controlling reproduction of a displayable work stored on a recording medium, said work having at least one pre-assigned ratings level associated with at least one scene, said method comprising the acts of:

receiving a ratings level input;

selecting all scenes of said work which have a pre-assigned ratings level equal to the received ratings level input;

displaying only said selected scenes; and

receiving a first input command accepting or rejecting selected and displayed scenes for later viewing.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing information indicating those scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected and displayed scenes are each accepted or rejected individually.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying an alternative scene from said work which has a second rating less than that of a displayed scene, for each displayed scene which is rejected.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving a second input command accepting or rejecting said alternative scene for later viewing.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing information indicating those alternative scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising reproducing and displaying those scenes of said work which have a ratings level which is lower than that of said ratings level input along with those scenes which have been accepted.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving a third input command accepting or rejecting a last rejected scene by said first input command if no alternative scene is available for said last rejected scene.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising storing information indicating those last rejected scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising reproducing and displaying those scenes of said work which have a ratings level which is lower than that of said ratings level input along with those scenes which have been accepted.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected and displayed scenes are all accepted or rejected collectively.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising reproducing and displaying those scenes of said work which have a ratings level which is lower than that of said ratings level input along with those scenes which have been accepted.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a summary of said work prior to receiving said ratings level input.

14. An apparatus for controlling reproduction of a displayable work stored on a recording medium, said work having at least one pre-assigned ratings level associated with at least one scene, said apparatus comprising:

a reproduction device for selectively reproducing scenes from a recording medium;

a display device coupled to said reproduction device for displaying said selectively reproduced scenes; and

a controller responsive to entry of a first ratings level for controlling said reproduction device to cause the selective reproduction and display only of scenes from a recording medium having said entered ratings level and for recording an entered accept or reject command associated with the displayed scenes.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a memory for storing information indicating those scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said controller records an entered accept or reject command for each of said selected and displayed scenes individually.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said controller causes said reproduction device to play and said display device to display an alternative scene from said work which has a second rating less than that of a displayed scene, for each displayed scene which is rejected.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said controller receives a second input command accepting or rejecting said alternative scene for later viewing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said memory stores information indicating those alternative scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said reproduction device and said display device reproduces and displays those scenes of said work which have a ratings level which is lower than that of said ratings level input along with those scenes which have been accepted.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said controller records an entered accept or reject command for all of said selected and displayed scenes collectively.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said controller receives a third input command accepting or rejecting a last rejected scene by said first input command for later viewing.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said memory stores information indicating those rejected scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said reproduction device and said display device reproduces and displays those scenes of said work which have a ratings level which is lower than that of said ratings level input along with those scenes which have been accepted.

25. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said reproduction device and said display device reproduces and displays those scenes of said work which have a ratings level which is lower than that of said ratings level input along with those scenes which have been accepted.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising displaying a summary of said work prior to said controller receiving an entered ratings level.

27. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising an input device for entering a first ratings level and for entering an accept or reject command.

28. A method for controlling reproduction of a displayable work stored on a recording medium, the work having a first scene, a second scene, and a third scene, a first pre-assigned ratings level being associated with the first and third scenes and a second pre-assigned ratings level being associated with the second scene, the first pre-assigned ratings level being higher than the second pre-assigned ratings level:

conducting a preview by;

receiving a ratings level input from a user, wherein the ratings level input corresponds to the first pre-assigned ratings level;

selecting the first and third scenes of the work;

displaying the first scene and the third scene without displaying the second scene; and

receiving at least one input command accepting or rejecting the first and third scenes for later viewing; and

reproducing and displaying at least a portion of the work by;

reproducing and displaying the first scene only if the first scene was accepted in the preview;

thereafter, reproducing and displaying the second scene; and

thereafter, reproducing and displaying the third scene only if the third scene was accepted in the preview.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising storing information indicating those scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said first and third scenes are each accepted or rejected individually.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising displaying an alternative scene from said work which has a third pre-assigned ratings level that is less than the first pre-assigned ratings level, for each of the first and third scenes which is rejected.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the at least one input command is a first input command further comprising receiving a second input command accepting or rejecting said alternative scene for later viewing.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising storing information indicating those alternative scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising receiving a fourth input command accepting or rejecting a last rejected scene if no alternative scene is available for said last rejected scene.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising storing information indicating those last rejected scenes which have been accepted for later viewing.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein said first and third scenes are accepted or rejected collectively.

37. The method of claim 28 further comprising displaying a summary of said work prior to displaying the first scene when conducting the preview.