Apparatus generating content codes for audiovisual programs

• US 7,330,638 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ostrover, Lewis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/921,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,385 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/55, 386/65, 386/95, 386/111, 715/723, 352/5
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• 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 5/147 Scene change detection

Abstract

An apparatus for generating content codes for the scenes of a program includes a scene detector that detects the start of new scene, and a selector that allows a viewer to enter one or more content codes for the scene. The content code(s) and data identifying the scene are then stored for later use. The apparatus also includes a new-scene indicator that is activated when a new scene begins and is then deactivated after content code(s) have been inputted for the scene.

Claims

1. An apparatus for allowing a viewer to assign content codes to scenes of a completed audiovisual program comprising:

a content selector having a viewer input for generating a content code for a current scene, said content code being descriptive of the content in said scene and being useable by viewers to determine whether the scene should be played or not;

a scene indicator indicating when said current scene needs said content code, said scene indicator being deactivated in response to the selection of said content code by said content selector; and

a memory for storing content codes associated with respective scenes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory stores data relating to the beginnings and endings of scenes together with respective content codes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scene indicator is activated when a new scene is started.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said scene indicator is deactivated after said content code for the scene is selected by said code selector.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a scene detector that detects a scene automatically and activates said scene indicator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a manually operated switch for activating said scene indicator at the beginning of each scene.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a timer to indicate the time left before the end of the scene.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to said content selector and controlling the state of said scene indicator in response to signals from said content selector.

9. An apparatus for generating content codes for a program signal formed of a sequence of scenes, comprising:

a scene detector receiving said program signal and being adapted to detect a starting point for each of said scenes in said program signal;

a scene indicator coupled to said scene detector and indicating that a current scene requires a content code, said content code being descriptive of the content of the current scene;

a selector activated by a user to select said content code for the current scene;

a controller receiving an input from said selector indicating that the content code for the current scene has been received from the user, and in response generating a control signal to said scene indicator to change the state of said scene indicator; and

a memory that stores a table of said scenes and the corresponding content codes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said scene indictor is deactivated when a content code is assigned to the current scene.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said program signal includes scene identification codes identifying the starting points of the scenes, wherein said scene detector is adapted to detect said scene identification codes.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a scene start selector adapted to be activated by the viewer to indicate the starting points of said scenes.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said controller is adapted to determine if the viewer fails to provide said content code, said controller being adapted to generate in this case a default content code for said current scene.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a timer indicating the time left before the end of the current scene.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said scene indicator is activated for a predetermined time.