Automated language filter for home TV

• US 6,867,818 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: P48, LLC
• Original Assignee: Principle Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Bray, J. Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/748,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 348/632, 348/460, 348/468, 348/462, 348/478, 348/482, 348/483, 348/484, 348/485, 348/906, 348/633, 348/907, 380/20, 704/275, 704/278, 725/28
• US Class Current: 348/632
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for analyzing the closed caption aspect of a video signal for specific undesirable words or phrases and then muting the audio portion of those words or phrases while not effecting the video portion therein while simultaneously modifying the closed captioned signal in order to display an acceptable word or phrase.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing an electronic signal including video and audio portions corresponding to audible and visible portions of the electronic signal, with said audio portion containing a spoken component related to the audible portion and with said video portion containing an auxiliary information component corresponding to a visible representation of said spoken component of said electronic signal comprising:

a video input means to receive video portion of an electronic signal with video portion containing an auxiliary information component,

an audio input means to receive audio portion of an electronic signal with said audio portion corresponding to said video portion,

a video output means by which the video portion of the electronic signal is made available to a user of the apparatus,

an audio output means by which the audio portion of the electronic signal is made available to a user of the apparatus,

means for separating said an auxiliary information component from said video portion,

means for analyzing said auxiliary information component in order to determine if said auxiliary information component contains specific words or phrases, and means for,

muting corresponding audio portion of said electronic signal if specific words or phrases are detected within said auxiliary information component,

removing or replacing any detected specific word or phrase with another word or phrase found within said auxiliary information component of the video portion,

disabling mute at the conclusion of receipt of the modified auxiliary information component,

means to synchronize said modified video portion with audio portion, and

means to transmit said synchronized signal to said video output and audio output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary information component is a closed caption signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronic signal is a television signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronic signal is a signal received from a storage device such as a video cassette recorder.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for selecting different levels of operation with respect to the muting of specific words or phrases, with said different levels include;

a very tolerant level in which no word or phrase will be muted,

a medium tolerant level in which a select amount of words or phrases will be muted,

a strict level in which the list of specific words or phrases in an amount greater than the medium tolerant level will be muted.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying of said modified and/or unmodified auxiliary information component at the time the specific word or phrase is replaced.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for selecting different levels of operation with respect to the displaying of said modified auxiliary information component, with said different levels include;

a full captioning level in which all modified or unmodified auxiliary information data is displayed,

a normal captioning level in which only modified words or phrases which represent the replacement words or phrases are displayed,

a no captioning level in which no word or phrase is displayed.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said auxiliary information component is a closed caption signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary information component is a closed caption signal.