Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for eliminating television commercial messages

US5692093A · kind A · utility

98Cited by
46References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 4, 1994
Grant dateNov 25, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 4, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S358/908
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

During recording of a television signal on a VCR, data are accumulated with respect to the time of occurrence and duration of detectable events, such as blank frames, in the television signal, and such data are stored. Timing reference data are written onto the tape as it is recorded. At a time subsequent to the recording process, the stored data are analyzed to classify the content of the television signal between the detectable events and a playback map is constructed for the recorded signal. During playback, the stored playback map is retrieved and stored timing data are compared to the timing reference data read from the tape. The VCR is automatically commanded into a fast scan mode when the tape reaches the beginning time of a portion of the video signal that has been classified for elimination during playback. The VCR is then automatically commanded to return to the normal "play" mode when the tape reaches the ending time of that portion of the video signal. Since all of the television signal is recorded on the tape, any or all of the signal may be viewed, even if portions of it have been misclassified.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.