Method and apparatus for recording scrambled video audio signals and playing back said video signal, descrambled, within a secure environment
US6091822A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 8, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 8, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2005/91364
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique is disclosed for preventing unauthorized playback of scrambled video/audio signals recorded on, for example, a video tape cassette, which technique includes several cooperating processes and apparatus which further prevent the playback of recorded video/audio when the playback apparatus is in a still or pause mode of operation. The technique includes selected combinations of processes of inverting and re-clamping the luminance component of the video signal just prior to FM modulation; blanking an overscan portion, or portions, of the video signal and adding a video retrace signal to the overscan portion(s); inverting the normal control track signal and position modulating the normally unused edge; and selectively scrambling the audio signal and recording the scrambled audio signal in an audio track or in a Hi-Fi track. A selected user specific authorization code is recording in and recovered from the audio track. The recorded scrambled video/audio signal is recovered via a modified combo VCR/TV unit with no external video/audio jacks, which reverses the scrambling processes mentioned above, but only if the descrambling apparatus is authorized by having the proper recove…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.