Method and apparatus for reducing and restoring the effectiveness of a commercial skip system
US8254756B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 17, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 28, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 24, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/4334
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed which reduces or removes the effectiveness of commercial skip systems such as presently found in VCRs, PVRs, etc. which are designed to delete commercials from signal material upon playback of a previously recorded version of the signal material. In an embodiment, the effectiveness of the commercial skip system is reduced or removed by adding a flat field of selected signal level to active line portions of video lines of the signal material. Other embodiments modify the normal fade to black signal indicative of a commercial to provide a fade to non-black signal. In further embodiments, a fade to non-black signal is inserted in an overscan area of the signal picture. Still further embodiments modify audio signals or selected signals in the horizontal blanking interval which may be used in commercial skip systems to detect the presence of commercials. Still other embodiments provide techniques for overcoming the commercial skip system altering effects of the previously mentioned embodiments to at least partially restore the commercial skip system, or to enhance the reliability or effectiveness of an existing commercial skip system which has not bee…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.