Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for controlling display of content signals

US6636607B1 · kind B1 · utility

8Cited by
36References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 1999
Grant dateOct 21, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 13, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/84
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling display of content signals begins by receiving a content signal that includes video content and at least one associated content control indicator. The content signal may also include audio content associated with the video content. The processing continues by comparing the at least one associated content control indicator (e.g., a rating of mature subject matter of the content signal) with at least one content control setting (e.g., a parental setting based on allowable viewing of rated content signals). When the associated content indicator compares unfavorably to the content control setting, a video graphics processor scrambles the at least a portion of the video content. The scrambled video content is then provided to a video rendering device for subsequent display.

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