Method and apparatus for control of closed captioning

• US 9,137,582 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VITAC Corporation (Verbit Software Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Caption Colorado LLC (Verbit Software Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lenzi, Umberto, Long, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US14/338,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/36, 725/73
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/278 Subtitling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

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.

Claims

1. A closed captioning encoder for enabling a programming originator to view and control one or more aspects of closed captioning processes, comprising:

at least one communications port operable for communicating, over a computer network, with a first captioning computer;

at least one communications port operable for communicating, over a computer network, with a programming originator computer;

at least one communications port operable for receiving an audio signal and a video signal from at least one audio and video signal source;

at least one communications port operable for outputting, over a computer network, a program feed, wherein the program feed includes the audio signal, the video signal and a caption encoded signal;

a non-transitory memory having stored therein a bridge program;

wherein the bridge program comprises instructions for;

receiving, from a programming originator computer, at least one command specifying whether conventional closed captioning or improved closed captioning is desired;

receiving the one or more closed captioning characters from the first captioning computer;

when improved closed captioning is desired,

receiving at least one improved control data command specifying at least one or more display aspects of the one or more closed captioning characters;

outputting in the caption encoded signal the one or more closed captioning characters and the at least one improved control data command;

when conventional closed captioning is desired,

receiving at least one conventional control data command specifying at least one conventional display aspect of the one or more closed captioning characters;

outputting in the caption encoded signal the one or more closed captioning characters and the at least one conventional control data command;

outputting the video signal and the caption encoded video signal to at least one of the first captioning computer and the programming originator computer;

whereupon receiving and decoding video signal and the caption encoded video signal at least one of a size and a placement of the closed captioning characters relative to the video signal can be determined based on at least one command present in at least one of the improved control data command and the conventional control data command;

a processor operable to execute the bridge program.

2. The closed captioning encoder of claim 1, wherein the at least one improved control data is generated by the first captioning computer based on at least one second improved control data command generated by the programming originator computer.

3. The closed captioning encoder of claim 1, wherein the at least one improved control data is generated by the closed captioning encoder based on at least one second improved control data command generated by at least one of the first captioning computer and the programming originator computer.

4. The closed captioning encoder of claim 1, wherein the at least one improved control data command is generated by the first captioning computer and overrides at least in part one or more second improved control data commands generated by the programming originator computer.

5. The closed captioning encoder of claim 1, wherein the at least one improved control data command is generated by the programming originator computer and overrides at least in part one or more second improved control data commands generated by the first captioning computer.

6. The closed captioning encoder of claim 1, wherein the programming originator computer is communicatively coupled to the encoder via the Internet.

7. The closed captioning encoder of claim 1, comprising the non-transitory memory further storing therein a control program.

8. The closed captioning encoder of claim 7, wherein the control program comprises instructions for transferring captioning responsibility between the first captioning computer and a second captioning computer.

9. The closed captioning encoder of claim 8, wherein the instructions for transferring captioning responsibility between the first captioning computer and the second captioning computer include instructions responsive to receipt of a seize request from the second captioning computer, whereupon execution of the instructions responsive to the seize request, captioning responsibility is transferred from the first captioning computer to the second captioning computer.

10. The closed captioning encoder of claim 9, wherein transfer of captioning responsibility from the first captioning computer to the second captioning computer occurs seamlessly.

11. The closed captioning encoder of claim 8, wherein the instructions for transferring captioning responsibility between the first captioning computer and the second captioning computer include instructions responsive to receipt of a transfer request from the programming originator computer;

whereupon execution of the transfer request captioning responsibility is transferred from the first captioning computer to the second captioning computer.

12. The closed captioning encoder of claim 7, wherein the control program includes at least one instruction programmed using an object-oriented programming technique.

13. The closed captioning encoder of claim 12, wherein the control program includes at least one instruction to be communicated by the encoder to the first captioning computer upon establishment of a communications link between the encoder and the first captioning computer.

14. The closed captioning encoder of claim 13, whereupon communication of the at least one of instruction by the encoder to the first captioning computer and storage of the instruction by the first captioning computer, the first captioning computer comprises a non-transitory memory having the at least one instruction, wherein the a least one instruction facilitates control of at least one or more display aspects of closed captioning data by the first captioning computer.

15. The closed captioning encoder of claim 12, wherein at least one of the instructions programmed using an object-oriented programming technique is communicated by the encoder to the programming originator computer upon establishment of a communications link between the encoder and the programming originator computer;

whereupon execution of the instruction by the programming originator computer a graphical user interface is displayed on a display device communicatively coupled to the programming originator computer.

16. The closed captioning encoder of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface includes at least one operable control element respectively representative of one or more closed caption display aspects, wherein the one or more display aspects specify at least one of a size and a location for placement on a screen of a display device of the one or more closed captioning characters.

17. The closed captioning encoder of claim 12, wherein at least one of the instructions programmed using an object-oriented programming technique is communicated by the encoder to the first captioning computer upon establishment of a communications link between the encoder and the first captioning computer;

whereupon execution of the instruction by the first captioning computer a graphical user interface is displayed on a display device communicatively coupled to the first captioning computer.

18. The closed captioning encoder of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interface includes at least one operable control element respectively representative of one or more closed caption display aspects, wherein the one or more display aspects specify at least one of a size and a location for placement on a screen of a display device of the one or more closed captioning characters.

19. The closed captioning encoder of claim 18, wherein the graphical user interface includes a display area for presenting a grab screen frame, wherein the grab screen frame depicts the one or more closed captioning characters as appearing at a grab time and as broadcast for presentation to one or more viewers.

20. The closed captioning encoder of claim 19, wherein the grab time is less than every ten seconds.