Method and apparatus for control of closed captioning

• US 9,736,397 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VITAC Corporation
• Original Assignee: VITAC Corporation
• Inventors: Lenzi, Umberto, Long, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US14/848,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20150381906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32, 725 40
• 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. An apparatus for enabling a user thereof to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text, comprising:

a user input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects;

a component responsive to the selective operation of any of the control elements for generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects;

a first output for supplying the 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; and

a second output for supplying the caption data received at the first input in a substantially unaltered form.

2. A closed captioning encoder, comprising:

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

wherein the first program comprises instructions for;

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

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

whereupon a programming originator computer can monitor and control at least one of a size and a placement of the one or more closed captioning characters relative to a video signal and prior to outputting of the caption encoded signal based on at least one command present in the at least one improved control data command; and

a processor operable to execute the first program.

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

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

5. The closed captioning encoder of claim 2, wherein the at least one improved control data command is generated by a first captioning computer and overrides at least in part one or more second improved control data commands generated by the programming originator computer.

6. The closed captioning encoder of claim 2, 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 a first captioning computer.

7. The closed captioning encoder of claim 2, wherein the programming originator computer is communicatively coupled to the encoder via the Internet and the closed captioning encoder comprises at least one communications port operable for communicating, over the Internet, with the programming originator computer.

8. The closed captioning encoder of claim 2, wherein the non-transitory memory stores therein a control program further comprising instructions for transferring captioning responsibility between a first captioning computer and a second captioning computer.

9. The closed captioning encoder of claim 8, wherein transfer of captioning responsibility from the first captioning computer to the second captioning computer occurs under the direction of a handoff command generated by the programming originator computer.

10. The closed captioning encoder of claim 8, wherein transfer of captioning responsibility from the first captioning computer to the second captioning computer occurs automatically.

11. The closed captioning encoder of claim 9, 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.

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

13. The closed captioning encoder of claim 9, 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.