Automated language filter
First Claim
1. For use in connection with home television video recording, playback, and viewing equipment, apparatus for processing an electronic signal including audio portions and video portions corresponding to audible and visible portions of the electronic signal, with said audio portions containing a spoken component related to the audible portion and with said video portions containing an auxiliary information component providing a visible representation of a respective concurrent spoken component of said electronic signal, said apparatus comprising:
- a video input to receive video portion of an electronic signal with said video portion containing a synchronized auxiliary information component corresponding to a visible representation of a concurrent spoken component;
an audio input to receive audio portion of an electronic signal with said audio portion corresponding to said video portion auxiliary information comment;
a video output by which the video portion of an electronic signal is made available to a user of the apparatus;
an audio output by which the audio portion of an electronic signal is made available to a user of the apparatus;
a programmed microcomputer including a data memory for receiving said auxiliary information component from said video portion;
said microcomputer being programmed for analyzing said auxiliary information component in order to determine if said auxiliary information component contains undesirable words or phrases received in said memory;
a switch for muting a corresponding audio portion having a concurrent spoken comment if undesirable words or phrases are detected within an auxiliary information component segment;
said microcomputer being programmed for removing or replacing with another word or phrase any detected undesirable word or phrase found within said auxiliary information segment;
said switch being connected to disable mute at the conclusion of receipt of the modified auxiliary information component segment; and
,an on-screen display and video combining unit connected to provide a modified auxiliary information component containing signal to said video output.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for analyzing the closed captioned aspect of a video signal for specific undesirable words or phrases and then muting the audio portion of those words or phrases while not affecting the video portion therein while simultaneously modifying the closed captioned signal in order to display only acceptable words or phrases.
84 Citations
15 Claims
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1. For use in connection with home television video recording, playback, and viewing equipment, apparatus for processing an electronic signal including audio portions and video portions corresponding to audible and visible portions of the electronic signal, with said audio portions containing a spoken component related to the audible portion and with said video portions containing an auxiliary information component providing a visible representation of a respective concurrent spoken component of said electronic signal, said apparatus comprising:
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a video input to receive video portion of an electronic signal with said video portion containing a synchronized auxiliary information component corresponding to a visible representation of a concurrent spoken component; an audio input to receive audio portion of an electronic signal with said audio portion corresponding to said video portion auxiliary information comment; a video output by which the video portion of an electronic signal is made available to a user of the apparatus; an audio output by which the audio portion of an electronic signal is made available to a user of the apparatus; a programmed microcomputer including a data memory for receiving said auxiliary information component from said video portion; said microcomputer being programmed for analyzing said auxiliary information component in order to determine if said auxiliary information component contains undesirable words or phrases received in said memory; a switch for muting a corresponding audio portion having a concurrent spoken comment if undesirable words or phrases are detected within an auxiliary information component segment; said microcomputer being programmed for removing or replacing with another word or phrase any detected undesirable word or phrase found within said auxiliary information segment; said switch being connected to disable mute at the conclusion of receipt of the modified auxiliary information component segment; and
,an on-screen display and video combining unit connected to provide a modified auxiliary information component containing signal to said video output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of removing undesirable words or phrases from audio and visible television programming having close-captioned text produced by a television set comprising the steps of:
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analyzing a synchronized closed-caption component segment of a video signal containing only information corresponding to said audio programming in order to determine if said closed-caption component segment contains undesirable words or phrases; muting a corresponding concurrent audio segment of an audio signal synchronized with said closed-caption component segment when undesirable words or phrases are detected within said closed-caption component segment of said video signal; and removing or replacing with another word or phrase any detected undesirable word or phrase found within said closed-caption component segment; whereby all words or phrases predetermined to be undesirable are prevented from being present in the resulting audio signal or in the closed-caption component of the video signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification