Offensive material control method for digital transmissions

• US 7,444,402 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Rennels, Ernest B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US10/386,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-229, 709231-232, 709/245, 709/246, 709/248, 709/249, 719/310, 719/318, 725/28, 348/473, 715/719
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/56 Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54

Abstract

The present invention is a method and a system for screening offensive material in a digital transmission. A digital transmission including at least one embedded offensive material code associated with a portion of the digital transmission is received. The digital transmission is monitored for the offensive material code. The digital transmission is modified based on the embedded offensive material code and an offensive-material control input, and the modified digital transmission is played.

Claims

1. A method of screening offensive material in a digital transmission, comprising:

receiving a digital transmission including at least one embedded offensive material code associated with a portion of the digital transmissiom;

monitoring the digital transmission for the offensive material code;

recognizing the offensive material code;

determining that an offensive-material control input is enabled;

determining whether the digital transmission includes an embedded non-offensive portion;

modifying the digital transmission i) using the embedded non-offensive portion when the offensive material code is detected, when the offensive-material control input is enabled and when the digital transmission includes the embedded non-offensive portion, or ii) using an other user-selected option when the offensive material code is detected, when the offensive-material control input is enabled, and when the digital transmission does not include the embedded non-offensive portion; and

playing the modified digital transmission;

wherein when the digital transmission does not include the embedded non-offensive portion, the other user-selected option is a pre-selected insertion signal, and modifying includes substituting the pre-selected insertion signal for the portion of the digital transmission associated with the offensive material code; and

wherein the pre-selected insertion signal is selected from the group consisting of a tone, a sequence of tones, a stored audio stream, and a stored video stream.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital transmission comprises a satellite radio broadcast from one of a broadcast satellite or a terrestrial antenna.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital transmission comprises a transmission selected from the group consisting of an Internet radio transmission, a digital radio transmission, a satellite television transmission, a compact disc output, a digital video disc output, an MP3 output, a digital audio transmission, a digital video transmission, and a digital device output.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital transmission is received at a radio in a mobile vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital transmission is received at a receiving unit selected from the group consisting of a networked digital device, a digital radio receiver, a satellite television receiver, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player, an MP3 player, a digital audio player, a digital video player, a digital entertainment system, and a digital device player.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the offensive material code comprises a predetermined code sequence.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the offensive material code comprises an offensive material message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the offensive-material control input is selected by a user via a button depression, a keypad input, a menu selection, a touch-screen selection, or a voice-activated command.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified digital transmission is played over an audio system in a mobile vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified digital transmission is played with a unit selected from the group consisting of a networked digital device, a digital radio receiver, a satellite television receiver, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player, an MP3 player, a digital audio player, a digital video player, a digital entertainment system, and a digital device player.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein prior to receiving, the method further comprises embedding the at least one offensive material code into the digital transmission.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein prior to receiving, the method further comprises sending the digital transmission with the at least one embedded offensive material code to a receiving unit.

13. A system for screening offensive material in a digital transmission, comprising:

means for receiving a digital transmission including at least one embedded offensive material code associated with a portion of the digital transmission;

means for monitoring the digital transmission for the offensive material code;

means for recognizing the offensive material code;

means for determining that an offensive-material control input is enabled;

means for determining whether the digital transmission includes an embedded non-offensive portion;

means for modifying the digital transmission i) using the non-offensive portion when the offensive material code is detected, when the offensive-material control input is enabled and when the digital transmission includes the embedded non-offensive portion, or ii) using an other user-selected option when the offensive material code is detected, when the offensive-material control input is enabled, and when the digital transmission does not include the embedded non-offensive portion; and

means for playing the modified digital transmission;

wherein when the digital transmission does not include the embedded non-offensive portion, the other user-selected option is a pre-selected insertion signal, and the means for modifying includes means for substituting the pre-selected insertion signal for the portion of the digital transmission associated with the offensive material code, and wherein the pre-selected insertion signal is selected from the group consisting of atone, a sequence of tones, a stored audio stream, and a stored video stream.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for embedding the at least one offensive material code into the digital transmission.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for sending the digital transmission with the at least one embedded offensive material code to a receiving unit.