Method and apparatus for classifying patterns of television programs and commercials based on discerning of broadcast audio and video signals

Apparatus for processing electromagnetic signals representing program and commercial signals comprising:

• means adapted to be coupled to a source of said signals for receiving the signals as a signal stream;
• means coupled with the receiving means for forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• means coupled with the forming means for storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• a neural network coupled with said storing means and including classifying means operable to generate at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and its parameters of at least one of said groups of signals;
• means defining a transition indicator for coupling the storage means to the classifying means, said transition indicator being operable for actuating the neural network to cause a decision to be made by the neural network as to the classification of at least one signal segment, relative to said program and commercial signals;
• means for storing past decisions;
• feedback means for coupling the last-mentioned storing means to the classifying means to allow such past decisions to be included in the classifying decisions to determine which of said signal groups the signal segments belong to;
• and
• a signal controller coupled with the neural network for receiving and being responsive to a decisional index from the neural network, said controller being operable to control a signal sensitive structure adapted for directing and transforming said groups of signals to respective end use locations.

A method for processing electromagnetic signals capable of being separated into a first group and a second group comprising:

• receiving said signals at a location as a signal stream;
• forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• classifying at least one segment into the first and second groups;
• generating as a function of said classifying step at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and its parameters of at least one of the said groups of signals;
• storing past decisions;
• and
• allowing such past decisions to be included in the classifying decisions to determine which signal groups the signal segments belong to and in response to a decisional index, controlling a signal-sensitive structure adapted for directing and transforming said groups of signals to respective end use locations.

A method for processing electromagnetic signals representing program and commercial television signals comprising:

• receiving the signals as a signal stream at a first location;
• forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• operating a neural network after the storing step to classify at least one signal segment and to generate at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and its parameters of at least one of said groups of signals;
• sensing a transition from one group to the other group by actuating the neural network to cause a decision to be made by the neural network as to the classification of at least one signal segment, relative to said program and commercial signals;
• storing past decisions;
• allowing such past decisions to be included in the classifying decisions to determine which of said signal groups the signal segments belong to;
• and
• controlling a signal-sensitive structure adapted for directing and transforming said groups of signals to respective end use locations.

Apparatus for processing electromagnetic signals representing program and commercial signals comprising:

• means adapted to be coupled to a source of said signals for receiving the signals as a signal stream;
• means coupled with the receiving means for forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• means coupled with the forming means for storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• a neural network coupled with said storing means and including classifying means operable to generate at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and its parameters of at least one of said groups of signals;
• means defining a transition indicator for coupling the storage means to the classifying means, said transition indicator being operable for actuating the neural network to cause a decision to be made by the neural network as to the classification of at least one signal segment, relative to said program and commercial signals;
• the video signals being divided into a number of bands, each band being the source of signals from which characteristic numbers are determined;
• and
• a signal controller coupled with the neural network for receiving and being responsive to a decisional index from the neural network, said controller being operable to control a signal sensitive structure adapted for directing said groups of signals to respective end use locations.

Apparatus for processing electromagnetic signals representing program and commercial signals comprising:

• means adapted to be coupled to a source of said signals for receiving the signals as a signal stream;
• means coupled with the receiving means for forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• means coupled with the forming means for storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• a neural network coupled with said storing means and including classifying means operable to generate at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and its parameters of at least one of said groups of signals;
• means defining a transition indicator for coupling the storage means to the classifying means, said transition indicator being operable for actuating the neural network to cause a decision to be made by the neural network as to the classification of at least one signal segment, relative to said program and commercial signals;
• the chrominance and luminance signals being derived from the video signals and divided into a number of spatial bands from which several characteristic numbers can be determined;
• and
• a signal controller coupled with the neural network for receiving and being responsive to a decisional index from the neural network, said controller being operable to control a signal sensitive structure adapted for directing said groups of signals to respective end use locations.

A method for processing electromagnetic signals representing program and commercial television signals comprising:

• receiving the signals as a signal stream at a first location;
• forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• operating a neural network after the storing step to classify at least one signal segment and to generate at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and their characteristic of at least one of said groups of signals;
• sensing a transition from one group to the other group by actuating the neural network to cause a decision to be made by the neural network as to the classification of at least one signal segment, relative to said program and commercial signals;
• storing past decisions;
• allowing such past decisions to be included in the classifying decisions to determine which of said signal groups the signal segments belong to, the video signals being divided into a number of bands, each band being the source of signals from which its parameters are determined;
• the chrominance and luminance signals being derived from the video signals and divided into a number of spatial bands from which several characteristic numbers can be determined;
• and
• controlling a signal-sensitive structure for directing said groups of signals to respective end use locations.

A method for processing electromagnetic signals representing program and commercial television signals comprising:

• receiving the signals as a signal stream at a first location;
• forming the signal stream into segments which can be represented as parameters, with the groups being mixed together;
• storing the signal parameters after they have been formed;
• operating a neural network after the storing step to classify at least one signal segment and to generate at least one decisional index representative of at least one signal segment and their characteristic of at least one of said groups of signals;
• sensing a transition from one group to the other group by actuating the neural network to cause a decision to be made by the neural network as to the classification of at least one signal segment, relative to said program and commercial signals;
• storing past decisions;
• allowing such past decisions to be included in the classifying decisions to determine which of said signal groups the signal segments belong to;
• and
• controlling a signal-sensitive structure for directing said groups of signals to respective end use locations;
• and
• chrominance and luminance signals being derived from the television signals and divided into a number of spatial bands from which several parameters can be determined.