Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-21
2001-07-24
Chevalier, Robert (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266481
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to selectively inhibiting television receiving apparatus from recording programs, received as digital video data, which are not authorized for viewing.
Techniques have been proposed heretofore to permit viewers to selectively enable and disable television receiving apparatus to prevent unauthorized television programming from being recorded and/or reproduced. With the introduction of the digital image communication systems such as the digital cable TV (CATV) systems, many services can be provided that were previously unheard of with the conventional TV broadcasting and CATV systems. The digital CATV systems not only provide conventional TV images, but can provide such services as electronic mail and electronic banking.
In the digital image communication systems, image storage devices are preferably incorporated into a conventional television receiving apparatuses. This enables the viewer to watch a television program on a particular channel while simultaneously recording television programs then being broadcasted on other channels in the image storage device; which can be reproduced later by the viewer.
The digital cassette tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as digital VCR) performs processing, such as parity code addition, ECC, formatting, modulating and so forth on video signals that have been highly efficiently coded. Thereafter, one or more rotating heads of the digital cassette tape recorder records the digital video signals on a magnetic tape. The digital cassette tape recorder also performs playback processing, such as demodulating, format decomposing, error correction and so forth on the signals played back from the magnetic tape so as to reproduce the digital video signals.
The digital cassette tape recorder may be incorporated into a conventional television receiver or into a decoder of the type typically used in cable television or direct satellite broadcast systems. Such decoders or converters are known and, consistent with industry usage, are referred to herein, as set-top converters.
In addition, in the digital CATV system, data in which a plurality of programs have been time-division multiplexed are transmitted. Normally, one program channel is selected by a television receiving device to display or store the program on that selected channel. However, programs broadcast on other channels at the same time as the selected program cannot be viewed or recorded for later viewing by that television receiving device. Thus, it is desirable to record those programs so they can be viewed later by the subscriber.
It is also desirable to record programs, such as movies, feature presentations, pay-per-view, etc., transmitted from the source during off-hours, e.g., midnight, so those programs subsequently can be viewed by the subscriber upon receiving proper authorization.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique by which television receiving apparatus is selectively inhibited from recording those programs, received as digital video data, which are not authorized for viewing.
Another further object of this invention is to provide a technique by which television receiving apparatus is selectively inhibited from reproducing those programs, recorded as digital video data, which are not authorized for reproduction.
A further object of this invention is to provide a technique as aforesaid, which additionally decodes the recorded video data after reproducing it from the recording medium.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a technique by which subscribers may rent or purchase videos using their television receiving apparatus.
Various other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the ensuing detailed description, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, television receiving apparatus is selectively inhibited from recording those television programs which are not authorized for viewing. Program information associated with television programs that are receivable by the television receiving apparatus, such as title data representing the title of that program, rating data representing the content of that program, and authorization data indicating whether that program is authorized for recording and/or reproduction, is stored in the receiving apparatus. When digital video data is received by the television receiving apparatus, the authorization data associated with the television program corresponding to the received digital video data is read from memory to determine if the received television program is authorized for recording. If not, the television receiving apparatus is inhibited from recording the received video data corresponding to that unauthorized television program. As described herein, a program cannot be recorded until it has been previously authorized for recording by the commercial television broadcast/distribution systems provider (e.g., enablement of particular programs in pay-per-view application).
In a preferred embodiment, the received digital video data is encoded and the television receiving apparatus requires a scrambling key to decode the received digital video data. The decoded digital data is then recorded on a recording medium. As a preferred feature of the present invention, the scrambling key is transmitted in encoded form from a source to the television receiving apparatus.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, television receiving apparatus is selectively inhibited from reproducing those television programs which are not authorized for viewing. When a program recorded on a recording medium is selected by the subscriber to be reproduced, the authorization data associated with the selected television program corresponding to the recorded digital video data is read from memory to determine if the selected television program is authorized for reproduction. If not, the television receiving device is inhibited from reproducing the recorded video data corresponding to that unauthorized television program. As described herein, a program cannot be reproduced until it has been previously authorized for reproduction by the commercial television broadcast/distribution systems provider.
As a preferred feature of the present invention, the recording medium contains encoded digital video data and the encoded digital video data corresponding to a selected program must be decoded before it can be viewed by the subscriber. The television receiving apparatus requires a scrambling key, which is also encoded, to decode the encoded digital video data.
In accordance with yet another aspect of this invention, the recording medium is a digital video tape. The authorization information associated with the programs on the video tape is also stored on that video tape. The television receiving apparatus reads from the video tape the authorization data associated with a selected program in the event that corresponding authorization data is not present in the memory. This feature enables other television receiving apparatus to reproduce authorized programs even if the authorization data associated with the selected program is not present in the memory of that other television receiving apparatus.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5323244 (1994-06-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5862299 (1999-01-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5897218 (1999-04-01), Nishimura et al.
Goto Koichi
Inoue Hajime
Lee Chuen-Chien
Chevalier Robert
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Polito Bruno
Sony Corporation
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