JPH03504186A - Automatic censorship of broadcast programs - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Automatic censorship of broadcast programs Technical field The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically censoring broadcast programs. The radiation used in the following two The term broadcast program refers to broadcast television programs, radio programs, cable television programs, and Refers to sound (audio) and/or image (video) programs in other forms.

Background technology The need to censor image material is to prevent people other than the intended audience from viewing it. For educational purposes, acceptance is generally accepted in most societies. Such censorship is customary , a group of people, for example children, may consume certain types of image material, for example pornography. This has taken the form of restricting people from watching movies and violent movies. Another method of censorship , program viewers may find that certain programs, such as intense content that some people find offensive, There is voluntary self-censorship when people do not want to see new scenes of violence or advertisements.

The medium where censorship is most problematic is television, as it is the most widespread form of broadcasting. It is Bi. Traditionally, television censorship prevents broadcasters from broadcasting material that may cause offense. There are also forms of self-broadcasting and voluntary self-censorship, in other words, things that viewers don't want to see. The system switches off the receiver when a new material is broadcast. like this Self-censorship has the advantage that the program remains available to those who do not find it offensive. However, it is also necessary to predict the nature of the broadcast and operate the receiver accordingly. This is inconvenient. Also, this method has no problems except for commercials, for example. This is especially useful when you want to cut only the commercial portion of a program that you want to change relatively quickly. If the viewer wants to cut out the program material, it becomes monotonous and errors are likely to occur. child Therefore, manual censorship is not a completely satisfactory solution.

Another factor that makes manual censorship ineffective is the number of files that can be downloaded for later viewing. As videotape recorders became more and more common, That is. If the operator is at the recording time, turn on the videotape recorder at appropriate times. You can cut out undesirable programs by "stopping" them, but recording usually stops. In such cases, inspection is performed when the operator is absent, and manual inspection is performed in such absence. No.

This allows automatic display or recording of pre-selected program material. It is desirable to provide a means for cutting.

Configurations for automatic censorship have been published in the past, but they have many serious drawbacks. ing. The main difficulty is the detection of different program types, e.g. TV commercial detection. automatic means of recognizing classes are complex and unreliable. one conventional method is characterized by short periods of black images and silence that separate commercials from other program material. It was detecting TV commercials. Typical commercial cutter of this kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119.286. However, this method and other daily formats that include short periods of black screen during broadcasts other than at the start of a commercial. There may be images and silence, or there may be separation between commercials and other program material. If not, there is a problem of malfunction. Also, such a method Resuming the desired program after the commercial ends and adding another commercial cannot be distinguished from the beginning of the file. Therefore, resuming viewing or recording requires some kind of timing device. should be controlled in °C based on assumptions about commercial length. . If these assumptions are incorrect, this method will not work well.

A means of censorship far improved over the above-mentioned method is the US special of ■on Kohhorn. No. 4,520,404. This method is a monitor stage town. It relies on operators classifying the content of broadcasts based on observations made during broadcasts.

A properly encoded message is sent from the monitor station to each viewer's home. and a suitably equipped decoder is installed on the television set or videotape player at that time. coder to classified data generated by the operator at the monitoring station. control based on Although this invention significantly improved the reliability of previous methods, However, it still has a number of notable limitations.

The main limitations of the prior art stem from the means by which the classification data is sent to each viewer's home. . In Yon Kohhorn's US patent mentioned above, the method uses classification data. Dedicated radio broadcasts, dedicated cable connections, or censored broadcasts as a means of transmission It relies on specially encoded control signals associated with the . However, dedicated radio The provision of a network must be able to send appropriate signals to all users served. The cost and complexity associated with installing a suitable transmitter must be addressed, as well as communications personnel. This poses the problem of difficulty and expense in obtaining the necessary permits and approvals from government agencies. cable Transmission by connection is costly to install appropriate cabling and However, it is difficult to secure suitable channels within the cable network already in place. be. Transmission of encoded signals accompanying this broadcast requires cooperation with the broadcasting company. implementation is difficult.

Disclosure of invention According to the first aspect of the present invention, the installation of special broadcasting means and the broadcasting station that broadcasts the program In an automatic censorship method that can automatically censor broadcast programs without requiring the cooperation of , monitoring broadcasts originating from at least one source; step of classifying according to the content of the program and generating a message representing the current program classification. and conveying the message to a data message transmitting station. and a step for suspending the data message being sent (if any). and transmitting the classified message, and transmitting the classified message to a classified message. receiving the program at a plurality of receiving stations where the program is being viewed or recorded; The classified message is decoded and classified according to the function selected by the operator at the receiving station. and controlling the reception, display, audio or recording of programs that are A viewing method is provided. The term "data message" as used here refers to A signal carrying information that does not have to be precise, i.e. a signal carrying information, but e.g. Can be interrupted for short periods of time, such as seconds, without significantly impacting the quality or effectiveness of the transmission. means a signal. Examples of such data messages include pocket radio calling Transmission to the receiver, Teletext data or group subscriptions This includes financial information that is continuously transmitted to the bureau.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in an apparatus for automatically censoring a broadcast program, A means of monitoring broadcasts originating from at least one source; Message representing the current program classification according to the classification defined by the operator means for transmitting said message to a data message transmitting station; configured to suspend transmitted data messages (if any). a controller for transmitting said classified message, a wireless transmitter means for transmitting said classified message; Receive messages on multiple stations where classified programs are being watched or recorded. a receiver, a means for decoding said classified message, and a means selected by an operator at the receiving station; Control the reception, display, audio or recording of classified programs according to the identified functions. A device having stages is provided.

The invention also resides in the transmission means as defined in the preceding paragraph.

An important application area is systems where broadcasts from multiple sources are monitored. It is mu. Embodiments of the invention can readily provide such features.

Yet another novel feature used in the preferred embodiment of the invention is Each program is monitored according to its content, and the system automatically displays the current status according to the classification chosen by the majority of the people monitoring it. This configuration generates a message representing the current classification.

Brief description of the drawing Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a suitable configuration of the data transmitter of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of another monitor configuration suitable for use with the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a program source 101 includes a video tape recorder, a television camera, a television Levi Studio or other source of image programming. The classification encoder 102 A keyboard that allows you to input the censorship classification by the controller, and a keyboard that allows you to enter the and encoding means for translating into digital words. The classification encoder 102 , means for inputting information that determines the broadcasting channel to which the input classification is related; It is also possible to have

In embodiments herein, the data message transmitter of the present invention A wireless paging transmitter commonly used in the ``Video Baging'' service. (hereinafter referred to as data transmitter 114) and transmits an appropriate address code. , the portaple's receiver will start up and emit a beep or display a message. , which issues an alert to the user who has the receiver.

The output of classification encoder 102 is sent to data transmitter 114. Data transmitter 11 4 is configured to also receive data from the wireless calling terminal 113, and The radio calling terminal 113 should be sent to a remotely located radio calling receiver. This is a normal wireless calling terminal that allows messages to be entered by the operator. radio call The operation of the calling system is such that data from the classification encoder 102 is sent to the wireless calling terminal 1. Any method known in the art except that it is interleaved with data from No. 13. It can be carried out according to the following. Increment of radio call data and classification data The data does not interfere with the operation of the radio paging system and the radio paging data is This will be done in a manner that ensures that there is no interference with the operation of the inspection system.

One preferred embodiment of data transmitter 114 is shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. be. Programs from the program source 101 can be viewed or recorded via the program transmission means 103. sent to the location where it will be sent.

The wireless paging signal and the incremented censor classification signal are also sent to the data transmitting means 112. sent to the same destination via The radio receiver 115 receives radio calls and classification calls. classification, which ignores the radio paging signal but extracts and processes the classified signal. The demodulated data is sent to the detector 106. Censorship controller 107 was extracted The classification signal is received and sent to the operator (user) using the user interface 108. Compare it with the range of classifications pre-arranged by humans. The current classification is determined by the operator. If the censor output 109 matches one of those chosen to be censored, the censor output 109 Tape recorder control input 110 and/or television receiver control input 11゛1 Start up and perform certain automatic censorship actions. In this example, the desired censorship Actions are selected by the operator and may include the following examples: a) Prohibit reception of both sound and images Example: TV only receives programs suitable for children b) Turns off the sound but continues to display images. go Example: Remove opening sound from advertisements C) Disable the image but continue the sound Example 2: Removing visual display content from news programs d) Switch to another program Example: advertising via Teletext or other sources Tropical fish images, news and information items to soothe and other sources from different sources. replace with advertisement e) Example of pausing the recording of a program on videotape: inserting an advertisement from a movie being recorded. remove f) Example of allowing recording of programs on videotape: all advertisements related to cars In another simpler embodiment of the recording invention, the censoring action is pre-empted by the configuration of the device. You can also decide on a specific date.

If more than one broadcast channel is used, which channel can be viewed or It is desirable to allow selective actions of censorship based on whether the video is being recorded.

To facilitate this, classification encoder 102 provides channel-specific classification data at its output. The censorship controller 07 can be configured to generate Configured to trigger censor output 109 only if the video is being watched or recorded can. Information determining the currently active channel is provided in the user interface 108. or by connection to a broadcast receiving means or direct electrical connection. Obtained automatically by other methods that do not require it.

Referring now to FIG. 2, details of the data transmitter 114 of FIG. 1 are shown. Nothing The wireless call data arriving at the line call data input 201 is first transferred to the FIFO buffer. input to the buffer (first-in, first-out buffer) 209, and then the data multiplexer. It is sent via lexer 212 to modulation input 203 of transmitter 204 . Transmitter 204 transmits a carrier wave modulated according to a predetermined manner via antenna output 205. minutes Classification data is routed directly to data multiplexer 212 via classification data input 202. It is also guided to the input of the controller 210. The controller 210 It is configured as follows.

Ru. That is, when the classification data arrives, it is sent to the FIFO buffer via the FIFO control 211. Buffer 209 is instructed to interrupt its output and multiplex control 112o8 is A data multiplexer 212 converts the classified data input 202 into a variable for the transmitter. You will be asked to choose the source. Thus, when the classification data should be sent The wireless call data that is being sent to the transmitter at the end of the classification data transmission is It will be temporarily suspended until During this period of interruption, no Wireless call data is stored in FIFO buffer 209 so that it is not lost. . As a result of such a configuration, classification data that needs to be transmitted urgently is The data will be sent with priority over the data. A small amount in completing a radio call message Such delays do not significantly affect the operation of the radio paging system.

A microprocessor with hardware or an appropriately configured electronics hardware. This can be done inconveniently by hardware.

When using the present invention to control censorship of multiple channels, the person responsible for monitoring It is difficult for one person to classify each program accurately. In such a case, the present invention This embodiment can also be applied to the configuration shown in Fig. 3 in which the classification work is performed by multiple personnel. . As shown in FIG. A group of television monitors 311-31n showing broadcasts of television channels. Looking. Then, each person in charge uses each channel from their respective operation panels 321-32n. Enter the appropriate classification for each channel or for several channels at once. Each maneuver The output of the operation panel is led to the comparator 330, and the comparator 330 connects the output to the output of the operation panel. A signal 340 corresponding to a plurality of each input from the module is generated. This output is shown in Figure 2. Leading to classification data input 202. Each monitor person has one channel. Another configuration is possible where only the categories are monitored, but the categories sent are The results reflect multiple classification decisions made by staff members, and errors made by -person staff members may be overlooked by viewers. The above configuration is preferred as it does not necessarily lead to false censorship behavior at home. Yes.

In any embodiment of the present invention, only authorized persons can and do not censor programs. A security device may be provided so that it can be stopped. This feature is shown in Figure 1. The controller 107 is provided with a storage means in which "Personal Identification Number (PIN) J This can be done by storing. A recognized person who knows the PIN is the user. the censor controller by entering the PIN from the design interface 108. Types of programs whose status is censored, such as latches or other memory means within the 107 It becomes possible to access what determines the In this way, a responsible adult, for example Censor function that allows viewing of program material not suitable for children by entering the correct PIN can be stopped. Normal censorship functions will resume after a predetermined time delay or This can be done by re-entering the PIN when finished.

Although only some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, without departing from the scope of the invention. , modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be made. For example, implementation of the invention described above In the examples and associated drawings, the invention classifies a wireless paging system as a means of conveying messages. Although we have shown an example using a system, this is just an example, and it is possible to use data that does not need to be strictly timed. Any transmitter for Tametsage can be used.

Further, in the embodiment of the invention described above, the operation panel operated by the monitor staff The signals emitted from the monitor were used as the classification signal input to the data transmitter, but It is also conceivable to use automated means instead without departing from the scope of the invention.

Further, in the above embodiments, the classification detector and censorship controller may be Although described as being separate from recording equipment, this type of equipment can be used with television receivers, Can also be integrated into other equipment such as a monitor or videotape recorder .

Implementing the invention without the need to modify video tape recorders and/or television sets In order to control inputs 110 and 111 of FIG. may be a remote control interface for a television set. That is, for example, infrared transmission Control interface means that are compatible with remote control communication standards, such as If you are prepared for LA 107, you can use the same recording/receiving equipment without modification and pause the video. , mute the sound, change channels, or perform other censorship actions.

When a user interface requires greater flexibility, the computer Censorship categories available using video display devices based on technical methods well known in the field. display the range of data in the form of a menu, allowing the operator to select it using a small number of switches. You can choose from a menu of

In the above embodiments, undesirable program material may be cut to prevent recording or viewing. Although the present invention has been used to provide other useful control functions, the present invention may also be used to provide other useful control functions. Applicable. For example, to record only specified types of program material, The present invention can also be configured. This ability applies to all broadcasts on a given day. If you want to record all advertisements or all broadcast episodes of a particular program over several nights. It can be used for editing. The present invention also provides for the actual start and end of a desired program. By starting and stopping the VCR at the time of day, typically programmed into the VCH for that purpose. It can also be used to control the recording of a given program without relying on the built-in clock mechanism. . This using the present invention! The method of lIm is to check the scheduled broadcast time of the program and its actual start time. Even if there is a difference between the start time and end time, the program portion will be recorded correctly. It is superior in

Industrial applicability The present invention controls the reception or recording of television programs according to their censorship classification. It can be used for

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Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic censorship method that can automatically censor broadcast programs, monitoring broadcasts originating from at least one source; A step of classifying programs according to their content and issuing a message representing the current classification. and conveying said message to a data message transmitting station. and suspending the data message (if any) being transmitted; transmitting the classified message to a plurality of receiving stations; and the step of receiving at the step of decoding said classified message and the step of decoding said classified message; Steps for controlling reception, display, audio or recording of classified programs according to functionality and automatic censorship method with 2. Claims wherein the data message transmitting station is a radio paging service transmitting station. Automatic censoring method described in box 1. 3. the step of classifying the banso according to its contents is performed by a plurality of people; Each person inputs the classification recognized by each person into a comparator, and the comparator The apparatus according to claim 1, which generates a classification output according to the classification input by Automatic censorship method. 4. In automatic broadcast program censorship measures, emissions originating from at least one source means for monitoring the transmission of means for generating a classification message representing a classification of a currently broadcast program; means for conveying the message to a data message transmitting station; Data messages being transmitted by said data message transmitting station (if any) a controller that is configured to suspend wireless transmitter means for transmitting said classified message; and radio transmitter means for receiving said classified message. a receiver for decoding said classified message; and means for decoding said classified message; Control the reception, display, audio or recording of classified programs according to selected features means and Automatic broadcast program censorship means with. 5. Claims wherein the data message transmitting station is a radio paging service transmitting station. Daily broadcast program censorship fees listed in Section 4 of the box. 6. The means for generating a classification message representing the classification of the program currently being broadcast may include a plurality of a selection means for inputting a classification recognized by each person; and a selection means for inputting a classification recognized by each person; receiving input from a stage and according to a classification entered by a majority of said plurality of persons; and a comparator for generating a classified output. Group inspection means. 7. In the data transmitter, modulated wireless transmission means; A data signal to be sent to a remote data message receiving terminal, the time being means for receiving said data signal having characteristics that do not require strictness; means for receiving a classification signal representing a class; and in the absence of a received classification signal, said receiving means; means for modulating the wireless transmitting means in accordance with the transmitted data signal; When a classification signal is received, it identifies the data message being transmitted (if any). and configured to modulate the data message transmitting means with the classification signal. controller and A data transmitter with a