METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ALTERING THE PRESENTATION OF BROADCAST CONTENT

• US 20110096225A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/384.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

A method and system for altering a presentation of broadcast content is disclosed. Embodiments provide an accurate and efficient mechanism for suppressing advertisements by using downloaded templates to identify advertisements before suppression for a duration indicated by information downloaded about the advertisement, where the suppression is effectuated by controlling a display or set-top box using remote-control functionality. In one embodiment, a digital signal comprising broadcast content is accessed. A plurality of templates are received and stored, wherein each template represents a known portion of the broadcast content. The digital signal is then compared against a portion of the plurality of stored templates. Upon a match, a control signal operable to alter a component of a presentation of the known portion of the broadcast content is generated.

Claims

1. A method of altering a presentation of broadcast content, said method comprising:

accessing a digital signal comprising said broadcast content;

receiving and storing a plurality of templates;

comparing said broadcast content to said plurality of templates; and

responsive to detecting a match between a portion of said broadcast content and a particular template of said plurality of templates, generating a control signal operable to alter a component of a presentation of said portion of said broadcast content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said particular template comprises a frame of said portion of said broadcast content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said particular template comprises an audio data segment of said portion of said broadcast content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of templates are received over an Internet connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said component comprises audio, and wherein said control signal causes a reduction in volume of said audio.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said component comprises video, and wherein said control signal causes a display of supplemental content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said supplemental content comprises a blank frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said control signal is a remote control signal.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

decoding a broadcast signal; and

producing said digital signal from said decoded broadcast signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said decoding and said producing are performed by a set-top box.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said accessing, receiving, storing, comparing and generating are performed on a device separate from said set-top box.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

producing said digital signal from an input signal of a camera operable to receive a visual representation of said broadcast content.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

producing said digital signal from an input signal of a microphone operable to receive an aural representation of said broadcast content.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of said broadcast content is an advertisement.

15. A system for altering a presentation of broadcast content, said system comprising:

a digitizer operable to access a digital signal comprising said broadcast content;

a memory operable to receive and store a plurality of templates;

a comparator operable to compare said broadcast content to said plurality of templates; and

circuitry operable to generate a control signal responsive to detecting a match between a portion of said broadcast content and a particular template of said plurality of templates, wherein said control signal is operable to alter a component of a presentation of said portion of said broadcast content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said particular template comprises a frame of said portion of said broadcast content.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said particular template comprises an audio data segment of said portion of said broadcast content.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of templates are received over an Internet connection.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said component comprises audio, and wherein said control signal causes a reduction in volume of said audio.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said component comprises video, and wherein said control signal causes a display of supplemental content.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said supplemental content comprises a blank frame.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said control signal is a remote control signal.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein said digital signal is produced from an input signal of a camera operable to receive a visual representation of said broadcast content.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein said digital signal is produced from an input signal of a microphone operable to receive an aural representation of said broadcast content.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein said portion of said broadcast content is an advertisement.

26. A method of altering a presentation of broadcast content, said method comprising:

receiving and storing information about an advertisement from a database;

accessing said information to determine a duration of said advertisement;

comparing a digital signal comprising said broadcast content to at least one template;

altering a component of said presentation for a period of time related to said duration; and

restoring said component of said presentation.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said altering a component comprises reducing a volume of an audio portion of said presentation.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said altering a component comprises displaying supplemental content associated with a video portion of said presentation.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said supplemental content comprises a blank frame.