A method, apparatus, computer program product and computer accessible code configured to link or otherwise associate content filters with a multimedia presentation, e.g., a movie. The content filter data includes an identifier value with an aspect ratio identifier or as a function of an aspect ratio for a particular multimedia presentation associated with the filter information. In one implementation, association between a filter set and a multimedia presentation involves a filtering application that searches a particular multimedia presentation to locate aspect ratio information and further searches filter information for a matching aspect ratio identifier.
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
2.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MIDSTREAM FILTERING OF AUDIO AND VIDEO CONTENT
In one embodiment, a method for filtering streaming media content includes receiving at a filtering device one or more packets of a source data stream. The one or more packets are may be received from a content source remote from the filtering device. The source data stream may include one or more of an audio component and a video component. The method further includes determining whether to perform a filtering action on the one or more packets of the source data stream based at least in part on one or more user settings. The method further includes communicating to a media-playing device a filtered data stream generated at least in part by performing the filtering action on the one or more packets of the source data stream.
H04N 21/647 - Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load or bridging bet
H04N 21/61 - Network physical structure; Signal processing
3.
SYNCHRONIZING FILTER METADATA WITH A MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION
A method, system and apparatus for applying and synchronizing filter information with a multimedia presentation, such as a movie provided in a video-on-demand context, to suppress objectionable content. In one example, filter information, which includes an indicia of a portion of the multimedia presentation including objectionable content and a type of suppression action, is provided on either a set-top-box or a video-on-demand server. A user selects a particular video-on-demand presentation, and the selection is transmitted to the set-top-box. Filtering may take place at the set-top-box side such that the complete video-on-demand movie is transmitted to the set-top box and then content suppression, such as skipping, muting, cropping, and blurring, takes place at the set-top-box. Alternatively, some or all suppression may take place at the server such that some or all of the objectionable content is not transmitted to the set-top-box. Additionally, whether in a video-on-demand, DVD, or other environment it may be necessary to synchronize filter with the multimedia content so that the proper objectionable content is suppressed.
H04L 29/06 - Communication control; Communication processing characterised by a protocol
H04L 29/08 - Transmission control procedure, e.g. data link level control procedure
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
4.
MEDIA PLAYER CONFIGURED TO RECEIVE PLAYBACK FILTERS FROM ALTERNATIVE STORAGE MEDIUMS
A media player configured with a first removable memory reader, such as a DVD drive, and a second removable memory reader, such as a flash memory reader, adapted to communicate with a removable memory containing filter data. The media player is configured to allow filtered playback of a multimedia presentation, such as a movie. Filtered playback causes certain portions of the multimedia presentation to be skipped, muted, blurred, cropped, or otherwise modified to eliminate or reduce potentially objectionable scenes, language, or other content. The second memory reader provides a convenient medium for the loading of filter information, whether data files, executable program code, or the like, to local memory of the media player to employ during filtered playback. Alternatively, the filters may be accessed from the removable storage media during playback rather than loading to local memory.
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 9/87 - Regeneration of colour television signals
H04N 5/765 - Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
H04N 5/85 - Television signal recording using optical recording on discs or drums
5.
Method and apparatus for controlling play of an audio signal
Apparatus and methods conforming to the present invention comprise a method of controlling playback of an audio signal through analysis of a corresponding close caption signal in conjunction with analysis of the corresponding audio signal. Objection text or other specified text in the close caption signal is identified through comparison with user identified objectionable text. Upon identification of the objectionable text, the audio signal is analyzed to identify the audio portion corresponding to the objectionable text. Upon identification of the audio portion, the audio signal may be controlled to mute the audible objectionable text.
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04H 60/13 - Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
H04H 60/48 - Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for recognising items expressed in broadcast information
H04N 5/445 - Receiver circuitry for displaying additional information
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/439 - Processing of audio elementary streams
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
G06F 13/00 - Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
G10L 17/00 - Speaker identification or verification
G10L 15/04 - Segmentation; Word boundary detection
G06F 3/00 - Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
A media player configured with a first removable memory reader, such as a DVD drive, and a second removable memory reader, such as a flash memory reader, adapted to communicate with a removable memory containing filter data. The media player is configured to allow filtered playback of a multimedia presentation, such as a movie. Filtered playback causes certain portions of the multimedia presentation to be skipped, muted, blurred, cropped, or otherwise modified to eliminate or reduce potentially objectionable scenes, language, or other content. The second memory reader provides a convenient medium for the loading of filter information, whether data files, executable program code, or the like, to local memory of the media player to employ during filtered playback. Alternatively, the filters may be accessed from the removable storage media during playback rather than loading to local memory.
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
H04N 9/804 - Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
H04L 29/06 - Communication control; Communication processing characterised by a protocol
H04L 12/28 - Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
H04N 5/781 - Television signal recording using magnetic recording on disks or drums
H04N 5/85 - Television signal recording using optical recording on discs or drums
H04N 5/907 - Television signal recording using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories
7.
Method and apparatus for logging and reporting television viewing
A multimedia logging and reporting system and method involves first obtaining some viewing information about a multimedia presentation such as a television program. The viewing information may be a name of the program and the time it was being watched on the television or may include other information depending on the multimedia, the device used for viewing the multimedia as well as other factors. The viewing information is recorded and then used to generate a viewing report, an example being a display on a television screen that lists a particular user, the time and name of the programs watched on any given day.
A method, apparatus, computer program product and computer accessible code configured to link or otherwise associate content filters with a multimedia presentation, e.g., a movie. The content filter data includes an identifier value with an aspect ratio identifier or as a function of an aspect ratio for a particular multimedia presentation associated with the filter information. In one implementation, association between a filter set and a multimedia presentation involves a filtering application that searches a particular multimedia presentation to locate aspect ratio information and further searches filter information for a matching aspect ratio identifier.
G11B 27/32 - Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
9.
Method and user interface for downloading audio and video content filters to a media player
A client server arrangement for downloading media content filters from a server device to a client device. The media content filters define portions of a separate audio visual presentation containing potentially objectionable subject matter. Depending on user selections, identified portions of the audio/visual presentation may be skipped and/or muted during play. In one particular implementation, the client device, e.g., a DVD player, is configured to initiate a connection with a server device. Upon successful connection, the server device transmits one or more media content filters to the client device. The client device may be configured to determine whether a particular media content filter is available, to facilitate deletion of some existing media content filters in order to secure adequate memory space, and to ensure that the media player has an active account, before initiating a connection with the server device. The server device may be configured to determine whether the media player is associated with an active user account, whether a requested filter is available, and whether adequate memory space is available at the media player, before transmitting media content filters to the client device.
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
10.
Method and apparatus for controlling play of an audio signal
Apparatus and methods conforming to the present invention comprise a method of controlling playback of an audio signal through analysis of a corresponding close caption signal in conjunction with analysis of the corresponding audio signal. Objection text or other specified text in the close caption signal is identified through comparison with user identified objectionable text. Upon identification of the objectionable text, the audio signal is analyzed to identify the audio portion corresponding to the objectionable text. Upon identification of the audio portion, the audio signal may be controlled to mute the audible objectionable text.
G10L 13/00 - Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
H04N 5/445 - Receiver circuitry for displaying additional information
H04H 60/13 - Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
H04H 60/48 - Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for recognising items expressed in broadcast information
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/439 - Processing of audio elementary streams
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
G10L 21/00 - Processing of the speech or voice signal to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility
G10L 25/00 - Speech or voice analysis techniques not restricted to a single one of groups
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
G06F 15/16 - Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs
G06F 3/00 - Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
G09B 19/00 - Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass
In accordance with the present invention, a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator monitors the current play position of the multimedia content and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and an filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator activates the filtering action that was assigned to the navigation object. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. A variety of systems may be used to implement the present invention, such as computer systems (consumer and server), television systems, and audio systems.
H04N 21/432 - Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk
H04N 21/433 - Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request or caching operations
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/4545 - Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
12.
Synchronizing filter metadata with a multimedia presentation
A method, system and apparatus for applying and synchronizing filter information with a multimedia presentation, such as a movie provided in a video-on-demand context, to suppress objectionable content. In one example, filter information, which includes an indicia of a portion of the multimedia presentation including objectionable content and a type of suppression action, is provided on either a set-top-box or a video-on-demand server. A user selects a particular video-on-demand presentation, and the selection is transmitted to the set-top-box. Filtering may take place at the set-top-box side such that the complete video-on-demand movie is transmitted to the set-top box and then content suppression, such as skipping, muting, cropping, and blurring, takes place at the set-top-box. Alternatively, some or all suppression may take place at the server such that some or all of the objectionable content is not transmitted to the set-top-box. Additionally, whether in a video-on-demand, DVD, or other environment it may be necessary to synchronize filter with the multimedia content so that the proper objectionable content is suppressed.
G06F 17/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 7/16 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
H04N 7/173 - Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 21/242 - Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References]
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/472 - End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification or for manipulating displayed content
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04N 21/845 - Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
13.
Apparatus and method for blocking audio/visual programming and for muting audio
A program blocking application that blocks programming for one or more possible users, based on various criteria associated with the program. A program word muting application that selectively mutes context specific words as a function of program specific criteria.
H04N 7/10 - Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
H04N 21/84 - Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
H04N 21/258 - Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics or processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
H04N 21/439 - Processing of audio elementary streams
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
H04N 21/454 - Content filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
H04N 21/475 - End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. PIN [Personal Identification Number] or preference data
H04N 21/482 - End-user interface for program selection
H04N 21/658 - Transmission by the client directed to the server
14.
Delivery of navigation data for playback of audio and video content
In accordance with the present invention a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator, located at a server system, monitors the current play position of multimedia content at a consumer system and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and a filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator sends the filtering action to the consumer system for processing. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. Alternatively, the navigator may be located at a consumer system and the server system may provide access to the navigation objects (e.g. download) so that the consumer system monitors and filters the multimedia content based on the received navigation objects. A variety of systems may be used to implement the present invention, such as computer systems (consumer and server), television systems, and audio systems.
In accordance with the present invention, a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator monitors the current play position of the multimedia content and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and an filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator activates the filtering action that was assigned to the navigation object. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. A variety of systems may be used to implement the present invention, such as computer systems (consumer and server), television systems, and audio systems.
In accordance with the present invention, a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator monitors the current play position of the multimedia content and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and an filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator activates the filtering action that was assigned to the navigation object. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. A variety of systems may be used to implement the present invention, such as computer systems (consumer and server), television systems, and audio systems.
In accordance with the present invention a filtering process is based on the output side of a multimedia decoder. A navigator, located at a server system, monitors the current play position of multimedia content at a consumer system and compares that position with navigation objects. Each navigation object defines a start position, a stop position, and a filtering action to perform on the portion of the multimedia content that begins at the start position and ends at the stop position. When the current play position falls within the portion of multimedia content defined by a particular navigation object, the navigator sends the filtering action to the consumer system for processing. Filtering actions include skipping, muting, reframing, etc., the portion of multimedia content defined by a navigation object. Alternatively, the navigator may be located at a consumer system and the server system may provide access to the navigation objects (e.g. download) so that the consumer system monitors and filters the multimedia content based on the received navigation objects. A variety of systems may be used to implement the present invention, such as computer systems (consumer and server), television systems, and audio systems.
patents
