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US 5,708,477 AGranted
Video signal identifier for controlling a VCR and television based on the occurrence of commercials
OwnerScott Jared Forbes, Fred Franklin Forbesinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A video signal identifier ("VSI") electrically coupled to both a VCR and a television to control their operation. The VSI memorizes commercials then automatically controls the television and video cassette recorder upon identifying a re-occurrence of the commercial. The VSI automatically mutes then restores volume on a television or pauses then resumes VCR recording at the beginning and end of a commercial.
Claims20
A method of controlling electronic equipment comprising:
- receiving an electrical signal comprising video frames;
- creating a current abbreviated frame corresponding to one of said video frames of said electrical signal;
- determining a total value of a particular characteristic of said current abbreviated frame;
- finding one of a plurality of abbreviated frames previously identified as representing a program segment and stored in a memory, said found abbreviated frame having a total value of a particular characteristic that differs from said total value of said particular characteristic of said current abbreviated frame by less than a predetermined total characteristic threshold;
- beginning at said found abbreviated frame, searching said memory for a stored abbreviated frame that matches said current abbreviated frame within a predetermined match threshold;
- and
- sending at least one control signal to said electronic equipment to interrupt an operation being performed by said electronic equipment if said searching means finds a matching stored abbreviated frame.
4 more elements
An apparatus for controlling electronic equipment comprising:
- memory means for storing a plurality of abbreviated frames each representing a particular program segment;
- means for receiving an electrical signal comprising a sequence of video frames;
- means for creating a current abbreviated frame corresponding to one of said video frames composing said electrical signal;
- means for determining a total value of a particular characteristic of said current abbreviated frame;
- means for finding one of said plurality of abbreviated frames stored in said memory means whose total value of said particular characteristic differs from said total value of said particular characteristic of said current abbreviated frame by less than a predetermined total characteristic threshold;
- means for searching, beginning at said abbreviated frame found by said finding means, said memory means for an abbreviated frame that matches said current abbreviated frame within a predetermined match threshold;
- and
- means for sending at least one control signal to said electronic equipment to interrupt an operation being performed by said electronic equipment if said searching means finds a matching abbreviated frame.
5 more elements
An apparatus for controlling electronic equipment comprising:
- memory means for storing a plurality of abbreviated frames representing commercials, said plurality of abbreviated frames being stored as a linked list, said linked list being ordered from an abbreviated frame having a greatest total brightness to an abbreviated frame having a least total brightness;
- means for receiving an electrical signal comprising a sequence of video frames;
- means for creating a current abbreviated frame corresponding to one of said video frames of said electrical signal, said current abbreviated frame comprising a plurality of data values, each said data value representing an average brightness of a portion of the corresponding video frame;
- means for storing a current scene abbreviated frame representing a current scene of said received electrical signal in said memory means in response to a control signal identifying said current scene as a commercial;
- means for determining whether said current abbreviated frame represents a scene change and discarding said current abbreviated frame if said current abbreviated frame does not represent a scene change;
- means for determining a total brightness of said current abbreviated frame;
- means for finding an abbreviated frame stored in said memory means whose total brightness differs from said total brightness of said current abbreviated frame by less than a predetermined brightness threshold;
- means for searching said memory means for a stored abbreviated frame that matches said current frame within a predetermined match threshold by beginning said search at said found abbreviated frame and traversing said linked list, said searching means comparing each of said plurality of data values composing said current abbreviated frame with each of said plurality of data values composing abbreviated frames stored in said memory means;
- means for sending at least one control signal to said electronic equipment to interrupt an operation being performed by said electronic equipment if said searching means finds a matching abbreviated frame;
- means for setting a timer equal to a duration of the commercial represented by the abbreviated frame found by said searching means;
- and
- means for sending a control signal to said electronic equipment to resume said interrupted operation when said timer expires.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.