Method and apparatus for control of closed captioning
First Claim
1. An apparatus for enabling a programming originator to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text, comprising:
- a programming originator input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects;
a component responsive to selective operation of any of the control elements for generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device;
a first output for supplying, by the programming originator, the first control data apart from the caption text;
a first input for receiving external caption data comprising the caption text and second control data, the second control data including portions obtained from the first control data;
a second output for supplying the caption data received at the first input in a substantially unaltered form; and
wherein the first output and the first input are combined as a first bi-directional port; and
the second output comprises a second port different than the first port.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for performing closed captioning enables a caption prepared remotely by a captioner to be repositioned by someone other than the captioner, such as by a program originator. This capability is particularly useful when, for example, the program originator wishes to include a banner in a video but also wishes to avoid having a closed caption interfere with the banner. In one illustrative system, the program originator is a broadcast station that includes a conventional encoder and a broadcast station computer. In one arrangement, control data generated at the station computer is incorporated into the caption data by the station computer. In another arrangement, the control data is sent from the station computer to the captioner computer, which incorporates the control data into the caption data.
9 Citations
57 Claims
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1. An apparatus for enabling a programming originator to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text, comprising:
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a programming originator input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects; a component responsive to selective operation of any of the control elements for generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device; a first output for supplying, by the programming originator, the first control data apart from the caption text; a first input for receiving external caption data comprising the caption text and second control data, the second control data including portions obtained from the first control data; a second output for supplying the caption data received at the first input in a substantially unaltered form; and wherein the first output and the first input are combined as a first bi-directional port; and
the second output comprises a second port different than the first port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for enabling a programming originator to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data, comprising:
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a first input for receiving the caption data; a programming originator input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects; a component responsive to selective operation of any of the control elements for generating control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, wherein the control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device; a component responsive to the first input and to the control data generating component for incorporating the control data into the caption data to create modified caption data, wherein incorporation of the control data into the caption data alters the at least one of the size and the spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on the display device; a first output for supplying the modified caption data; wherein the first input and the first output are combined as a first bi-directional port. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for implementing control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data by a person other than a captioner, comprising:
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a first input for receiving first control data apart from the caption data, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device;
wherein the first control data is based upon caption display aspects specified by a programming originator;a component responsive to the first input for incorporating the first control data received at the first input into the caption data to create modified caption data, wherein incorporation of the first control data into the caption data alters the at least one of the size and the spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on the display device; and a first output for supplying the modified caption data;
whereinthe aspects include at least one of caption positioning, a number of captioning lines displayed, a number of characters per line, and a physical origin point for the caption text; and wherein the first input and the first output are combined as a first bi-directional port. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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29. An apparatus for implementing control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data by a person other than a captioner, comprising:
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a first input for receiving first control data apart from the caption data, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device;
wherein the first control data is based upon caption display aspects specified by a programming originator;a component responsive to the first input for incorporating the first control data received at the first input into the caption data to create modified caption data, wherein incorporation of the first control data into the caption data alters the at least one of the size and the spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on the display device; and a first output for supplying the modified caption data;
whereinthe aspects include at least one of caption positioning, a number of captioning lines displayed, a number of characters per line, and a physical origin point for the caption text; and wherein the first input and the first output are separate ports.
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40. A system for enabling a programming director to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text created by a captioner and contained in caption data, the system comprising:
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a first programming director apparatus communicatively coupled to a programming origination site, the first apparatus comprising; a monitor; a plurality of selectively operable graphic control elements displayed on the monitor, the control elements being respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects and configured for generating, upon selection by the programming director and operation of at least one of the selectively operable graphic control elements, first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device; a first input; and a first output for supplying the first control data apart from the caption text; a second apparatus removed from the program origination site, the second apparatus comprising; a second input for receiving the first control data from the first output; a programmable processor responsive to the second input for incorporating the first control data received at the second input into the caption data to create modified caption data, wherein incorporation of the first control data into the caption data alters the at least one of the size and the spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on the display device; and a second output for supplying the modified caption data to at least one of the first input and the programming origination site; and a communications link coupling the first apparatus and the second apparatus; wherein the programming origination site further comprises a third output for supplying the modified caption data received at the first input; and wherein the first input and the first output are combined as a first bi-directional port. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for enabling a programming originator thereof to exert control of various closed caption text, comprising:
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generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects, the aspects including at least one of caption positioning, a number of captioning lines displayed, a number of characters per line, and a physical origin point for the caption text; generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption aspects in response to a selective operation of any of the control elements by the programming originator, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device; and supplying the first control data apart from the caption text, at a first output; wherein the first output is a bi-directional port. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A method for enabling a programming originator to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data, comprising:
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receiving the caption data; generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects, the aspects including at least one of caption positioning, a number of captioning lines displayed, a number of characters per line, and a physical origin point for the caption text; generating control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, in response to selective operation of any of the control elements by the programming originator, wherein the control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device; incorporating the control data into the caption data to create modified caption data, wherein incorporation of the control data into the caption data alters the at least one of the size and the spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on the display device; and supplying the modified caption data; wherein the caption data is received and the modified caption data is supplied using a bi-directional port. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method for implementing control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text contained in caption data by a person other than a captioner, comprising:
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receiving first control data apart from the caption data, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device and corresponds to a selection by a programming originator of at least one caption display control element; incorporating the first control data into the caption data to create modified caption data, wherein incorporation of the first control data into the caption data alters the at least one of the size and the spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on the display device; and supplying the modified caption data; and wherein the first control data is received and the modified caption data is supplied using a bi-directional port. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification