Method for the uninterrupted display of television programs with suppressed program segments

• US 20070055980A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Inventors: Megeid, Magdy, Covazzi, Germano
• Application Number:
  US10/529,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055980A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible

Abstract

A method for selectively suppressing undesired program segments from a broadcast television signal is provided. Program information is received from a service provider and includes program segment specific content rating information which is compared with stored user defined preferences. When the user preferences indicate an undesired program content (e.g., violence, sexual situations, etc.), a time compensation factor is calculated to remove the undesired program segments and display the program uninterrupted to the user without the unwanted material. The time compensation can be in the form of a delayed program start, extension of desired segments, or a combination of both.

Claims

1. A method for suppressing undesired program segments from a broadcast program, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving program information from a service provider;

determining whether undesired program segments are present in the received program information; and

modifying the displayed program to eliminate the undesired program segments.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a user program control mode has been activated, wherein said steps of determining whether undesired program segments are present and modifying the displayed program are performed when the user program control mode has been activated.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining further comprises comparing the received program information with user defined preferences.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of modifying the displayed program comprises the steps of:

identifying how many undesired program segments are present;

calculating a time compensation factor for the undesired program segments;

delaying the start of the program for a time equal to the calculated time; and

displaying the program to the user uninterrupted with all of the undesired program segments removed.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of modifying the displayed program comprises the steps of:

identifying how many undesired program segments are present;

calculating time compensation factors for each of the undesired program segments;

extending selective desired program segments by the calculated time compensation factors; and

displaying the program to the user uninterrupted with all of the undesired program segments removed.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the calculated time compensation factor to the user;

requesting user input to confirm delayed start of the program for the time specified;

wherein said steps of delaying and displaying are performed with the user confirms the delayed start of the program.

7. A method for suppressing undesired program segments from a broadcast program, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if a program control mode has been activated;

loading program information relating to the program content from the service provider when the program control mode has been activated;

identifying whether undesired program segments are present in the received program information;

calculating a time compensation factor for the undesired program segments;

delaying the start of the program for a time equal to the calculated time; and

displaying the program to the user uninterrupted with all of the undesired program segments removed.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of returning to a normal operation mode when no undesired program segments are present in the received program information.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of identifying includes the step of comparing the loaded program information with user defined preferences.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the calculated waiting time to the user;

requesting user input to confirm delayed start of the program for the time specified, wherein said steps of delaying and displaying are performed when the user confirms the delayed start of the program.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of calculating a time compensation factor comprises:

calculating the time duration for each undesired program segment; and

adding each calculated time duration until all undesired program segments have been accounted.

12. A method for suppressing undesired program segments from a broadcast program, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if a program control mode has been activated;

loading program information relating to the program content from the service provider when the program control mode has been activated;

identifying whether undesired program segments are present in the received program information;

determining whether desired program segments can be extended to compensate for removal of the undesired program segments;

calculating a time compensation factor for removing the undesired program segments; and

displaying the program to the user uninterrupted with all of the undesired program segments removed.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of returning to a normal operation mode when no undesired program segments are present in the received program information.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of determining further comprises the steps of:

comparing a time duration of an immediately preceding desired program segment with the fractional computation of the combined time durations of the undesired program segment and the immediately preceding desired program segment;

calculating a time extension factor when the time duration of the immediately preceding desired program is greater than or equal to the fractional computation; and

calculating a waiting time factor when the time duration of the immediately preceding desired program is less than the fractional computation.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of displaying further comprises the steps of:

extending the program segments immediately preceding the undesired program segments by the calculated time extension factor; and

delaying the start of the program for the calculated waiting time.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying the waiting time to the user;

and

requesting user input to confirm delayed start of the program for the waiting time specified.