Method and apparatus for selectively altering a television video signal in real-time

• US 6,771,316 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Televentions LLC
• Original Assignee: Jerry Iggulden
• Inventors: Iggulden, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/188,930
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.900, H04/N.716, 348/553, 348/632, 348/687, 348/690, 348/562, 348/907, 348/185, 348/192, 348/465, 348/473, 348/474, 348/563, 348/569, 348/460, 725/22, 725/36, 725/151, 725/153, 725/134, 386/46, 386/94
• US Class Current: 348/553
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The method and apparatus operates in a television receiver to identify unwanted broadcast segments, such as commercial advertisements, of a television signal in real-time for the purpose of selectively altering the television display during each unwanted segment. A signature pattern associated with each segment of the television signal is detected and compared to stored signature patterns representative of selected segments such as commercial advertisement segments. If the signature pattern matches one of the stored signature patterns, the segment is thereby immediately identified as being one of the selected segments and is processed in real-time to mute or otherwise alter the television signal during the segment. If the signature pattern of the segment does not match any of the stored signature patterns, the segment is analyzed to determine whether the segment is nevertheless a selected segment and, if so, its signature pattern is stored along with the stored signature patterns.

Claims

1. A method of operating a television receiver comprising:

receiving a television signal in a television receiver;

detecting a first event in the television signal;

capturing a signature associated with a first segment of the television signal following the first event;

comparing the captured signature to stored signatures;

if the captured signature matches one of the stored signatures, controlling the television receiver to alter a display of the television signal;

if the captured signature does not match any of the stored signatures, storing the captured signature in a temporary storage location;

adding the captured signature to the stored signatures if a second event in the television signal is detected within a predetermined window of time following the first event;

wherein the first and second events are each at least one of the group consisting of one or more black frames, one or more colored frames, low audio and a frame break.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the television receiver to alter the display of the television signal comprises muting an audio portion of the television signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the television receiver to alter the display of the television signal comprises muting a video portion of the television signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the television receiver to alter the display of the television comprises providing an alternate video signal to replace the received television signal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the received television signal is displayed in a window within a display of the alternate video signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the stored signatures are stored in response to a user request.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the stored signatures are downloaded from a remote site.

7. A method of operating a television receiver comprising:

receiving a television signal in a television receiver;

detecting a first event in the television signal;

capturing a signature associated with a first segment of the television signal following the first event;

comparing the captured signature to stored signatures;

if the captured signature matches one of the stored signatures, controlling the television to alter a display of the television signal;

if the captured signature does not match any of the stored signatures, storing the captured signature in a temporary storage location;

monitoring a signal receiver for a user input signal;

adding the captured signature to the stored signatures if the user input signal is received prior to detection of a next event in the television signal;

if the user input signal is not received prior to detection of a next event in the television signal, adding the captured signature to the stored signatures if the next event is detected within a predetermined window of time following the first event;

wherein the first event and the next event are each at least one of the group consisting of one or more black frames, low audio and a frame break.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein controlling the television receiver to alter the display of the television signal comprises muting an audio portion of the television signal.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein controlling the television receiver to alter the display of the television signal comprises muting a video portion of the television signal.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein controlling the television receiver to alter the display of the television comprises providing an alternate video signal to replace the received television signal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the received television signal is displayed in a window within a display of the alternate video signal.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein at least some of the stored signatures are downloaded from a remote site.

12. A television set comprising:

a television signal receiver;

means for detecting a first event in the television signal;

means for capturing a signature associated with a first segment of the television signal following the first event;

means for comparing the captured signature to stored signatures;

means for altering the display of the television signal if the captured signature matches one of the stored signatures;

means for storing the captured signature in a temporary storage location if the captured signature does not match any of the stored signatures;

means for adding the captured signature to the stored signatures if a second event in the television signal is detected within a predetermined window of time following the first event;

wherein the first and second events are each at least one of the group consisting of one or more black frames, one or more colored frames, low audio and a frame break.

13. The television set of claim 12 wherein the means for altering the display of the television signal comprises means for muting an audio portion of the television signal.

14. The television set of claim 12 wherein the means for altering the display of the television signal comprises means for muting a video portion of the television signal.

15. The television set of claim 12 wherein the means for altering the display of the television signal comprises means for replacing the received television signal with an alternate video signal.

16. The television set of claim 15 further comprising a picture-in-picture processor to display the received television signal in a window within a display of the alternate video signal.

17. The television set of claim 12 further comprising a manually-operated user control to store at least some of the stored signatures.

20. The television set of claim 12 further comprising means for downloading at least some of the stored signatures from a remote site.