Media Guidance Application Uncensored Segment Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional parental control systems in electronic program guides fail to effectively manage simultaneous viewing of censored and uncensored versions of media content, leading to audio overlap and irritation for users, particularly when a parent wants to watch an uncensored version while a child views the censored version in the same location.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that allow a user to view only the segments of an uncensored media asset on a second device by determining segments with inappropriate content using time codes, enabling audio and video selectively during these segments, and muting/unmuting accordingly, while ensuring the censored version is displayed on a first device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If both censored and uncensored versions are delivered to devices in the same location, then both users can view their respective versions, but audio overlap occurs creating an irritating echo effect

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to view different versionsVSAvoidaudio overlap and echo effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the media content delivery by identifying specific time segments containing inappropriate content. The system divides the media asset into censored segments and uncensored segments, delivering only the uncensored version during inappropriate content time segments to the second device, while delivering the full version during appropriate content segments. This segmentation resolves the audio overlap issue by selectively enabling uncensored audio only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-identifying time segments containing inappropriate content through monitoring time codes and comparing them against a database of inappropriate content time segments. This preliminary identification allows the system to proactively control audio delivery, enabling uncensored audio only during identified inappropriate segments before the user experiences any potential echo effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If manual mute control is implemented to prevent echo, then audio overlap is prevented, but user convenience deteriorates due to required manual intervention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio overlap preventionVSAvoidmanual control requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by automatically monitoring time codes, comparing them against the inappropriate content database, and autonomously controlling the audio output without requiring any manual user intervention. The parent device performs all control operations automatically, identifying when uncensored audio should be enabled or disabled based on the current playback position, thereby eliminating the need for manual mute button presses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the playback time codes from the first device and comparing them against the stored inappropriate content time segments. This real-time feedback loop allows the second device to automatically adjust its audio output state based on the current playback position, ensuring uncensored audio is enabled only during inappropriate content segments without user intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If uncensored version is continuously played on second device, then parent can hear all content including inappropriate segments, but audio overlap and echo occur during non-inappropriate segments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to uncensored contentVSAvoidecho effect during identical segments

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by making the audio delivery state changeable and adaptive rather than static. The second device dynamically adjusts its audio output between enabled and disabled states based on the current playback position relative to inappropriate content time segments. This dynamic control ensures uncensored audio is delivered only during inappropriate segments while preventing echo during identical segments, optimizing both content access and audio quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9621953B1Systems and methods for alerting a user and displaying a different version of a segment of a media asset

Publication Date: 2017.04.11 ADEIA GUIDES INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are presented for presenting segments of an uncensored version of a media asset on a second device while a censored version of the media asset is displayed on a first device. These systems and methods alert a user when segments of the uncensored version of the media asset do not overlap with the censored version, i.e., the uncensored version contains inappropriate content that is censored. Subsequent to alerting the user, the segment of the uncensored version is presented on the second device.