Selective Content Replacement via Encoding Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for filtering audio and video content in programs, such as TV broadcasts, lack the ability to selectively replace objectionable material with less-objectionable content, like advertisements, and often require specialized hardware, making them costly and difficult to upgrade or implement widely.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that encodes potentially objectionable content with replacement information using encoding codes, allowing for precise identification and replacement during playback, without the need for additional hardware, by applying an encoding process that marks objectionable material and a decoding process that compares this information to user-defined criteria to replace it with less-objectionable content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specialized hardware is used for content filtering and replacement, then content filtering capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces specialized hardware filtering systems with a software-based processing system that uses encoding codes embedded in the program signal. The filtering and replacement functions are achieved through software interpretation of these codes rather than through dedicated hardware circuits, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining content filtering capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal processing system that can handle multiple types of content filtering and replacement operations through a single software platform. The system can replace different types of objectionable content (audio, video, closed captions) with various replacement materials (advertisements, blurred images, muted audio) using the same underlying mechanism, eliminating the need for separate specialized hardware for each filtering function.
2Reliability
If specialized hardware is used for content filtering, then content filtering capability is improved, but ease of manufacture and upgrading deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex hardware filtering systems with software-based processing that can be implemented on standard computing platforms. The encoding codes are embedded in the program signal during production, and the filtering logic is implemented as software that interprets these codes, making the system easier to manufacture and upgrade without requiring specialized hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds encoding codes in the program signal during the production or transmission phase, before the content reaches the user's device. This preliminary encoding allows the filtering and replacement decisions to be pre-determined and structured, simplifying the implementation at the user end and reducing the complexity of manufacturing and upgrading filtering systems.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If entire program is blocked based on rating, then objectionable content is filtered, but loss of information increases as non-objectionable portions are also blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the program content into distinct portions marked with encoding codes that identify objectionable versus non-objectionable segments. Instead of blocking the entire program based on a overall rating, the system processes the program segment by segment, allowing only the objectionable portions to be filtered or replaced while preserving the non-objectionable content for viewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different portions of the program based on local content characteristics. Encoding codes mark specific segments with their objectionability level, allowing the system to apply filtering or replacement only where needed (local quality control) rather than uniformly blocking or allowing entire programs, thereby preventing loss of non-objectionable information.
4Measurement precision
If selective replacement is implemented, then content filtering precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective replacement through software-based processing that interprets encoding codes embedded in the program signal. The precision of content identification and replacement is achieved through software logic rather than complex hardware circuitry, allowing high replacement precision while keeping device complexity manageable through software implementation on standard platforms.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer program product is provided for the selective replacement of objectionable content in a program with less-objectionable material. The selective replacement of objectionable content in a program with less-objectionable material is accomplished by applying an encoding process and a decoding process to the audio and/or video signal of the program. The encoding process includes marking potentially objectionable material in the program with replacement information that identifies the type (e.g., audio, violent content, sexual content, etc.) and intensity level (e.g., mild, graphic, extreme, etc.) of the potentially objectionable material using replacement codes. The decoding process includes comparing, during the presentation of the program to the user and prior to outputting the audio or displaying the video, the replacement information to a replacement criterion, which includes user supplied replacement settings, to determine whether replacement of the potentially objectionable content (i.e., audio and/or video) should be performed. If replacement is to be performed, the objectionable content in the program is replaced according to the replacement information which, in the preferred embodiment, identifies the start and duration of the replacement and, for replacement of the video of the program, also identifies the display area of the video to be replaced.