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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automated control system and method that furnishes viewers with individualized automated editing and retrieval capabilities over the contents and length of a variable content video program in order to produce a
transparently continuous and complete show. The system capabilities include an automated flexible control system design that enables an operator to selectively apply different editing criteria to the variety of subject matters that may be contained
within the program. The system controls also include an automated capability for efficiently previewing program scenes of pre-identified categories and classes of subject matter and a capability for determining their inclusion in the program seen by the
viewer.
Finally, the control system provide a keyword/menu segment/program retrieval facility from an existing program and program database, and a requesting capability for programs to be produced according to viewer-specified requirements.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Artistic expression in films often surrender to the requirements of marketing and other forms of censorship, both subtle and obvious. Individual viewers once they elect to view a program, subject themselves to the results of this censorship or
lack thereof.
One form of industry censorship is content rating which is a label attributed to each film by the Motion Picture Association of America ("MPAA"). The label serves as a broad generalized guide for the public as to the overall level of
"objectionable" content, as the MPAA defines various types of content that may be included in a movie. In the MPAA published booklet "The Voluntary Movie Rating System", the MPAA spells out the purpose of the rating system: "if you are 17 or over, or if
you have no children, the rating system has no meaning for you. Ratings are meant for parents, no one else." Accordingly, the rating system used by the MPAA has adopted a generalized structure that has inherent limitations since it admittedly has
ignored the varying sensibilities and tastes among different adults e.g. non-parents, young adults, or senior citizens. The rating system is thus inadequate for a large portion of the viewing public. Nonetheless, any reviews that may have been
obtained, the public must elect the option of viewing the film or not. Having decided to do so, the viewer, must accept the content of the film in its entirety.
User content requirements may also include the knowledge level required to view the program, its level of detail and complexity such as would be the case in educational programs. In programs that include a number of segments such as is generally
the case with news programs, there is no choice provided to the user as to the viewing of only the user specified program segments. Similarly, while the viewer has the option to truncate the length of a program by either terminating viewing the program,
or if recorded to fast-forward certain scenes, there is no option of receiving a program at a user specified length.
Presently, all form of viewer editing, such as permitted by the use of a VCR, requires the interactive participation of the viewer and some knowledge as to the location of the scene in question.
Many methods and systems found in the prior art do not incorporated current basic technology and methods to produce an automatic viewer editing capability that produces a transparently complete program.
For example, the patent to Von Kohorn, U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,404, discloses a remote recording and editing system. In particular, the invention discloses an editing system whose functions include the activation or deactivation of a television
receiver and a recording apparatus by the transmission of control or editing command signals, generated from a central station where an operator monitors a broadcast transmission. The receiver and recorders in a viewer's home are provided with
inhibiting circuitry that respond to the transmitted control signals from the central station to prevent the re-broadcast or recording of unwanted material in the home.
The patent to Chard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,964, discloses a television controller that utilizes coding for identifying and automatically deleting undesirable sound and visual events broadcast with a program. The content signals associated with
Chard also teaches that undesirable events are graded to permit editing according to personal taste.
Also, the patent to Olivo, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,796, discloses a screening device capable of automatically disabling the TY or video receiving device in response to the receiver's recognition of a non-interfering material content signal
co-transmitted with the program signals.
However, Von Kohorn, Chard, and Olivo, have various drawbacks. The material content signal may only be applied to portions of a program signal, in order to edit out only the objectionable parts of a program. Thus by disabling the replay of
segments of the program material, these methods ignore the fact that dead segments would result from the edited out segments. Also, while Chard suggests setting grading levels independently for sound (four levels) and vision (four levels), it does not
teach providing grading levels for a variety of subject matters. Additionally, while Olivo, illustrates incorporating the rating structure provided by the MPAA for the programs, and suggesting that different material content signals can distinguish
between different forms of subject matter, it does not teach using a number of different ratings for each class of subject matter. In this regard, Vogel's disclosure of three broad classifications (advertisement, non-program material, restricted) does
not enhance Olivo. The above teachings therefore together show a method whose rating structure is based on the MPAA rating system applied to different subject matters. However, as previously discussed, the MPAA rating system was designed and intended
as an overall program guide for parents. The MPAA rating system does not by, deliberate design, address segment specific subject matter information that is required to provide adults with a highly discriminatory control over the content of segments
contained within the selected program.
The patent to Vogel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,160, addresses the above deficiency by providing a facility for displaying alternative material during the dead segments. The alternative material selected during censorship periods can originate from a
remote source, for example, another television broadcast, or locally, for example, from a video disk or tape player. The local source may also simply be a black signal generator which essentially reproduces the same drawback noted above. An alternate
source to a dead segment may also be provided by the system disclosed in Boyd et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,727. Boyd teaches a method for forming a substantially continuous composite video signal by combining a video segment received from a video
signal with a video segment produced from digital data.
The patent to Lindstrom, U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,068, discloses an optical laser disc based broadcasting method and system wherein promotional segments of a program are played from the same source recordings as the program itself. Lindstrom
discloses utilizing at least two disc players in timed synchronization to generate a transparently continuous video signal.
The patent to Kiesel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,044, discloses a plurality of video tape recorders that similarly provide for continuous replay without the need for creating a master tape.
Neither Lindstrom nor Kiesel however teach a single player that can provide transparently continuous video signals, nor do these references suggest utilizing a control system that provides a variety of different and complete edited versions of
the same program obtained from the same single source recording.
Neither Boyd nor Vogel, however, provide a system that creates, from a single source, a viewer-edited transparently continuous and harmonious program that replaces a dead segment with other parts of the same program.
Generally, to the extent that the above patents act to censor a video program they direct themselves to providing viewer control over the form of the expression. This is in contrast to those patents, that provide viewers the means to
participate, and thereby affect, the program's story lines or plot. An example of the latter type of patent is Best, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,026. Which discloses a video entertainment system where human viewers conduct simulated voice conversations with
screen actors or cartoon characters in a branching story game shown on a television screen. Best is further characterized by the interactive nature of viewer participation, since at frequent points in the game the system presents the viewer with two or
more alternatives. Is the interactive participation of the viewer that sustains the logical progression of the game. As many games are directed at children, and are educational in nature, or contain primitive subject matter, they have not dealt with
issues raised by the more complex adult forms of expression inherent in contemporary films. Games have provided setup editing capabilities (selection of: level of difficulty, character, weapons, etc.), not censoring editing capabilities.
The present art thus fails to suggest combining interactive and set up capabilities, automated editing capabilities, and directing capabilities to provide the user with control over a program's story line, content, and form of expression.
The patent to Freeman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,072, discloses a method for expanding interactive CATV displayable choices for a given channel capacity. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a program segment stacking method and a
subscriber profile utilized to transmit one of a plurality of the stacked program segments. The subscriber's selection profile disclosed therein is demographic in character and can be changed from the head end of the transmission, and not editorial and
controlled by the viewer. Further, the method of Freeman teaches that the stacked segments beginning at any one moment of time to be of equal duration to restore the transmission to the common prerecorded television message. This structure, which
serves Freeman's objectives of tailoring advertising to the demographics of the viewer, is inferior to a variable length stacking structure that would provide far superior tailoring of the program content.
The patent to Bohn, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,638, shows a market research system for substituting stored television programs for regularly scheduled, broadcast television programs having a particular identification code wherein the substitute
television programs may be transmitted via telephone lines to the households of cooperating panelists for storage. The operational difference between Freeman and Bohn is the method of transmitting the alternate advertising segment to the viewer. In
Freeman different advertising segments are contemporaneously transmitted during the broadcast of the program, while in Bohn differing advertising segments are transmitted prior to the broadcast of the program. Bohn teaches the use of a laser disc to
store the substitute television advertising. Based on the identification code contained in the broadcast program a controller may substitute the broadcasted advertisement.
The patent to Skutta, U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,924, discloses a method for the remote-controlled replacement of a TV advertising spot by another advertising spot for a new product to be tested.
The teachings of the above references would not furnish a system that provides each viewer with automated non-previewed control over the program content from a single program source by a single device that generates a transparently seamless
program matching the viewers pre-established content requirements. Among the additional elements and enhancements required by such a system would be producing and providing coherent parallel and overlapping program segments. Some of these parallel
segments differ only in the form of expression (i.e. explicitness) of a given scene.
The patent to Hashimoto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,549, discloses a method of generating an individualized listing of programs that meet an individual viewers stated program preferences. This is accomplished on the basis of a generalized survey of a
viewers program classification preferences and viewer response to the list selected.
The patent to Hallenbeck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,211, relates to television (TV) program schedule guides and in particular to a method and apparatus for efficiently transmitting, receiving and storing television program schedule information. In
Hallenbeck, schedule information is retained that meets predetermined selection criteria to minimize storage and processing requirements.
The above patents do not suggest viewer direct selection of a program from a variety of programs by means of a database architecture that would permit keyword and interactive menu searches.
The patent to Monslow, U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,078, teaches a television broadcast system using land lines for the real time transmission of a viewer chosen program. The patent to Way, U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,694, is entitled "Fiber optic cable
television distribution system". The patent to Walter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,387, discloses a programming on demand fiber optic based system. These patents together with the references cited therein teach a variety of land line and fiber optic
transmission of programs with varying degrees of viewer capabilities in the selection of programs. While these do not teach transmission of a variable content program, said works are, incorporated by reference herein to establish that such a
transmission is possible and to assist the reader interested in obtaining a more detailed disclosure of the hardware of such systems than is necessary to provide here.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, it is evident that there exists a need for a system that furnishes viewers with individualized automated non-previewed control over a program's content in a single program source, and
broadcast on a viewing device, by a transmitting device that generates a transparently seamless video program matching the viewers preestablished content requirements.
It is also an object of the present invention to include the capabilities for automatically selecting among parallel and overlapping segments to provide a video program that is highly responsive to viewer control over its content. A further
object of the invention is to provide content control that includes any of the following: the program's form of expression, subject matter, element development, expertise level, detail level, and program length.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a TV control system where the control is exercised automatically, by means of a preestablished content preference structure and keyword subject listing, individualized for each viewer and
subject to password control by a system administrator. This first form of control is applied universally to each selected program content map. Each map contains detailed information as to the location and program characteristics, such as categories and
subject matter, of the various segments of the program. The second form of control may be established interactively and individually with each selected program prior to initiating viewing.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide the capability for efficiently previewing selected scenes in order to indicate their inclusion for viewing. Inclusion/exclusion control is automatically accomplished by modification of the
program content map as may be required for example by a parent editing a children's program. Additionally, the viewer accessible copy of the program's content map may be modified contemporaneously with the viewing of the program, generating a variety of
any one of the following preselected automated system responses: updating the copy of the program's content map, skipping to the next logical segment, or any combination of the two. The skipping to the next logical segment feature may be accessed
independently without affecting the content map.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide automated capabilities to efficiently view only a specified class, category, or subject matter included in segments within the selected program or programs.
It is also an object of the invention, to provide information as to the viewer preference structure and the program content map to which it was applied to assist in determining viewer preferences.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide viewers the means of accessing available programs, segments from a program, and or segments from a plurality of programs by the use of keyword or a classification tree structure as would be
required by a user accessing a very large program or segment database.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide the means for a viewer to detail the subject matter, story line, and or general content of a desired program so that producers of programs may elect to produce and provide said program.
Briefly these and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a system comprising: program production, editing, and recording techniques, assignment to segments of a program the appropriate descriptors and creating a map of those segments
and their descriptors, a structure to record the viewer's content preferences, the means by which the user content preference structure is matched to the programs's content map to produce the desired program, means of accessing and retrieving programs,
and means of indicating program preferences.
With these and other features, advantages and objects of this invention, the invention is shown in the detailed description of the invention and in the accompanying drawings and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a video segment rating chart for subject matter as per the present invention;
FIG. 1B is video segment rating chart for elements as per the present invention;
FIG. 1C is a video segment rating chart for inclusion as per the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram representing the steps of producing a variable content program of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a set of diagrams and rating chart of three versions of a video segment, each a variation of the other as per the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a sample viewer scene selection screen of a program's content rating as per the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the video disk player as per the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a flow chart summarizing the process of a laser videodisc playing as per the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As used herein segments refers to a sequence of frames. The segment or frame sequence may form a single image, a shot, a scene, or a sequence of scenes. Any number of segments that may comprise a program may be logically organized by means of
the programs segment map. Program refers herein to any image displayed on any device including but not limited to televisions, CRT, film screens; and transmitted to the device by any number of means including but not limited to broadcast, cable,
telephone, fiber optic network, tape, videodisc, magnetic media, memory devices, chips and modules.
Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals, throughout, FIG. 1A illustrates an example of the generalized rating structure 100 utilized to review the contents of each segment contained in
a given program. The structure of chart 100 includes a number of categories 102 that might apply to most films. The generalized rating scale 104 mirrors the rating system utilized by the Motion Picture Association of America (General Audiences,
Parental Guidance Suggested, Parents Strongly cautioned, Restricted, No Children Under 17 Admitted, G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17 respectively), but provides a more descriptive rating scale for the group, as shown. Each number in the matrix 106 in the chart
100 represents the particular scene rating choices for a specific scene or segment. A more individualized rating scale for each of the categories is also available as will be described below with respect to FIG. 1C.
Referring now to FIG. 1B, the contents of a segment may be further represented by chart 200 in order to analyze the development of a number of elements 202 such as character, location, and time, as well as the degree of detail 204 and the level
of expertise 206 that may be appropriate for a program. These elements are provided at a variety of levels and are rated accordingly. FIG. 1B for example indicates that the program's character element development may range from none to extensive.
Referring to FIG. 1C, a separate category 300 provides criteria for condensed versions of the program. In this chart, the segments may be classified according to the level of inclusion/exclusion that the user may desire 302. The ratings
indicates if the segment is required for a highlight, summary, condensed, or detailed versions 304 of the program. In a similar manner, an individualized tailored and descriptive rating scale may be provided for any one category or group of categories.
In a preferred embodiment, each segment is analyzed as to subject matter and assigned the necessary keyword to provide effective keyword retrieval and additional user viewing control capabilities. This will be of significant value in retrieving
video segments from a program database ("programbase"), such as may be constructed from a collection of news or educational programs, where each program comprises a number of segments each a whole in itself.
Keyword indexing of the segments provides the capability for inhibiting the viewing of undesirable subject matter, or assisting in the retrieval of desirable subject matter, where the rating structure may not adequately cover a specified category
or subject matter. For example, a viewer may not desire viewing scenes of a flag burning. Key word control would inhibit the segments containing that scene or scenes from being viewed by that particular viewer. Alternatively, a key word search would
permit a system user to efficiently retrieve all flag burning segments that may be included in the programbase.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C are examples of an overall framework for segment analysis, the actual structure and complexity utilized may be highly tailored, as disclosed in conjunction with FIG. 1C, by the producer of a program to reflect the specific
content of a program without being limited by the structures which may be found to be commonly utilized in other works. Each program producer is offered the flexibility within the overall architecture of this rating system to determine and include only
those categories that may be relevant to a particular program, and to add categories as the producer requires. Similarly, the producer is offered some flexibility in determining the labelling of the rating scale.
Meeting the objectives of being able to provide both a standardized set of rating structures that will permit the automatic application of a viewers preestablished preference structure on a variety of programs, and provide the producer of the
program the flexibility described above, are accomplished by assigning unique classification codes to each set of preestablished standardized categories and by reserving a range of classification codes that will be recognized by the system as requiring
interactive input by the viewer. In the example of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, codes ending in 9, codes with a tens digit being a 9, and or codes from 900 to 999 ("producer code") are reserved as independent of the standard categories shown.
Producer codes would signal the system to elicit the viewer preference. Similarly, as the rating scale is relative in structure, different descriptions for any category rating scale might be utilized without affecting the applicability of a
preestablished viewer preference structure for that category. In instances where the rating scale is not accommodated by the standardized structure supplied, the producer need only assign a producer code and build whatever scale he may deem desirable,
from a simple "Yes/No" to a sophisticated three dimensional representation.
Additionally, commands may be issued by the program to inhibit the application of a preestablished viewer preference structure and require the viewer to address the program's segment rating structure regardless of the category codes utilized.
Referring to FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention a view of the method for mapping the scenes 400 is provided. Each scene or fragment of a scene on a video script is reviewed 430 according to a producer-selected segment
rating structure, as indicated in FIGS. 1A-1C above. The screenwriter now has the freedom to expand the scenes to cover a wider rating range without the concern for the limitations inherent in the present art. Without the artificial limitations that a
program fit a specified time frame, the screenwriter may additionally expand scenes to provide whatever level of detail or development they may desire. Additionally, the screenwriter may elect to provide any number of scene options and or transitions to
each of the scenes identified 340.
Most scenes can be constructed by means of transition segments to provide for content at varying points of the grading scale and or the avoidance of a particular segment and yet retain harmony with the preceding and following segments. It should
be noted that any given idea or scene may be expressed in a variety of forms, whether implied as in the closing of a bedroom door, to the graphic treatment as might be found in an "X" rated film. Both of these versions may be provided as parallel
segments in a program, challenging the artist to create greater variety in the form of expression permitting the viewer to decide for themselves the level of censorship that they may desire.
A successful filming of this architecture 450 is a function of the skill of the director(s), actors, animators, etc. that may be required to provide for parallel and transition segments with the required transparent harmony.
Existing program editing requires producing a unique linear sequence of segments. The editing of the present invention 460 requires a parallel non-sequential logical arrangements of segments. It should be emphasized that the art of program
editing under the present invention transfers censorship and time constrained editing decision making from the producer to the viewer.
The beginning frame and end frame in each of the relevant segments is identified, the segment content is assigned a descriptor as per the category and rating structure, and logical entry and exit references are assigned 470. Any given segment
may be assigned a variety of category codes and keywords ("category codes"), and the segment assigned a category code may be congruent in one or more frames with a segment assigned a different category code. Where necessary, a video segment may be
associated with more than one audio segment and corresponding separate voice and video category codes may be provided. The complexity of the arrangement is only limited by the requirements, desires, skill, intelligence, hardware, and software available
to the program editor.
The resulting segment information is mapped and the required user interface produced 480 to permit the viewer, by selecting the desired rating level in each of the categories, to view a unique continuous sequence of segments consistent with the
designated viewer preference structure.
Programs which have been already produced would not offer the same parallel and transition segments, and other opportunities, available to programs produced under this system. A program may, however, nonetheless be mapped to provide an
editing-out capability to produce, if not entirely transparently, a continuous program.
To further explain the methods of the present invention, and referring to FIG. 3, and consistent with definitions established at the outset, illustrated is a program consisting of five scenes 501, each scene of the program may comprise any number
of segments 502, each segment may include any number of frames 503. In this example, scene three includes four segments, segment 3b begins at frame 4112 and ends at frame 6026. The next segment, 3c, begins at frame 6027. Brakes between set of frames
serve to illustrate the beginning and ends of a segment and not to indicate a non-continuous transmission.
Segment 3b of scene three 511, which might generate an "R" rating for an entire program, includes frames depicting explicit bloodshed. In this example the rating of the segment is indicated by the numeral 3 in the appropriate cell 521 of that
segments rating chart.
To provide for the option of editing-out the explicit bloodshed, the program content map includes an additional segment definition beginning at frame 4112 and ending at frame 5205. The end of this segment 512 is linked to a new transitional
segment 513 beginning at frame 35205 and ending at 35350, the end of which is linked to frame 6027. In this fashion, frames are omitted and added to provide a continuous transparent edited version of segment 3b. This frame sequence is associated with
the corresponding segment content rating to indicate the absence of bloodshed 522. In all other respects the segments 512/513 is equivalent to the original segment 511. For programs produced prior to the present invention, the editing-out would work in
a like manner except that the transitional segment 513 would not be available to make the continuous transmission from frame 5206 to 6027 transparent.
To provide for the option to include a graphic level of bloodshed, the | | |
