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US 8,018,569 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for inhibiting the piracy of motion pictures
AssigneeMaxiVision Cinema Technology
InventorsDean K. Goodhill, Ty Safreno
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMaxiVision Cinema Technology
InventorsDean K. Goodhill, Ty Safreno
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus to inhibit the piracy of motion pictures in theaters by taking advantage of the frame rate discrepancies between film (or digital) display and video camcorders. By alternating specific image display intervals and, shuttering cadences, or with digital video projectors commanding a similar modified display via the digital projector's blanking and display capabilities, so that the projected images occur in a random and/or phase shifted manner, objectionable distortions are produced in an illicitly captured video image, while being invisible to theatrical viewers. In addition, various serrated, slit, multi-quadrant or spotted patterns may be used on mechanical shutters, or simulated on digital displays, to further degrade the quality of illicitly captured video by pirates in theaters.
A method of inhibiting the piracy of a motion picture, wherein the motion picture comprises displayed images, the method comprised of displaying an image for an interval, followed by an interval of darkness where no image is displayed, and selectively changing the intervals of image display and the intervals of darkness, such that a camera intended for use in illicit recording of the motion picture captures intervals of darkness, and wherein the camera also captures fewer displayed images than would be captured if the intervals of image display and darkness in the motion picture were the same.
In a motion picture projector, an apparatus for inhibiting the piracy of a motion picture, wherein the motion picture comprises displayed images, the apparatus comprising a controller that commands the projector to display an image for an interval, followed by an interval of darkness where no image is displayed, and that selectively changes the intervals of image display and the intervals of darkness, such that a camera intended for use in illicit recording of the motion picture captures intervals of darkness, and wherein the camera also captures fewer displayed images than would be captured if the intervals of image display and darkness in the motion picture were the same.
In a motion picture projector, an apparatus for inhibiting the piracy of a motion picture, wherein the motion picture comprises displayed images, the apparatus comprising a controller that commands the projector to display an image for an interval, followed by an interval of darkness where no image is displayed, and that changes the intervals of image display relative to the intervals of darkness during projection of the motion picture such that the intervals of image display and the intervals of darkness are not of equal duration.
In a motion picture projector, an apparatus for inhibiting the piracy of a motion picture, wherein the motion picture comprises images that are displayed at a frame rate, the apparatus comprising a controller that commands the projector to display an image for an interval, followed by an interval of darkness where no image is displayed, and that changes the intervals of image display relative to the intervals of darkness during projection of the motion picture such that the intervals of image display and the intervals of darkness are not of equal duration and the frame rate during projection of the motion picture is maintained.
An apparatus for inhibiting the piracy of a motion picture, wherein the motion picture comprises images that are displayed at a frame rate, the apparatus comprising a controller that commands a shutter to permit an interval of image display followed by an interval of darkness where no image is displayed, and that changes the intervals of image display relative to the intervals of darkness during projection of the motion picture such that the intervals of image display and the intervals of darkness are not of equal duration, while maintaining the frame rate during projection of the motion picture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.