HK1143682B - Television content control system and method with cross-platform capability - Google Patents

Description

System and method for controlling television content with cross-platform capability

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent No.60/934,723, filed on 6/15/2007, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to video and Television (TV), and more particularly, to content management of TV and video signals.

Background

Content management or content control is well known in the information art and generally refers to controlling the use of audio and video material. Typically, such content control involves modifying the digital video signal to include a tag (tag), or trigger bit or flag (flag), that defines how the material may be used by various downstream devices. One aspect of content management is copy protection, typically performed in the analog domain. In general, copy protection refers to a method and apparatus for processing video signals to inhibit the production of acceptable video recordings and is also referred to herein as anti-copy processing (ACP).

A wider field of content control includes the use of so-called compliant devices (compliant devices) designed to include circuitry or software that detects some predetermined signal (or lack thereof) in a received video signal. For example, the presence (or absence) of a particular signal is also interpreted as a command to the receiving device to enable or disable recording, e.g. either storing or further transmitting. In some cases, such control involves generational copy management (generational copy management), in which a first generation copy may be made, but subsequent generation copies are prevented. Such copy management is applicable to digital video signals of the type used on video media (e.g., DVDs) as well as other types of television signals, including high definition televisions. These more complex copy control systems typically require specialized circuitry and/or software in the receiving device to detect and interpret the particular signals provided in the video signal for content management purposes.

The inventor, Ronald quant, and us 2006/0093140a1 entitled content management for High Definition Television video, which is fully incorporated herein by reference, is directed to content management in the field of High Definition Television video signals using three-level sync pulses, and is fully incorporated herein by reference. High Definition (HD) television is a well-defined video standard. Typically in the video domain, however, the television signal is processed between multiple devices that do not necessarily comply with the same television standard, and/or it may be a received signal of a different television standard. (television is a type of video suitable for transmission over the air, cable, or satellite). Television standards refer to the well-known so-called legacy television standards that have been in existence for a long time and typically operate in the analog domain, including NTSC, PAL, SECAM, VGA, and others. Also included are various newer digital television standards, including the 720p standard, which provides a picture having 720 vertical lines, each line having 1,280 pixels horizontally. p refers to progressive scanning as used in computer displays. HDTV (high definition television) is replacing analog standard (NTSC in the united states) television. Slightly different HDTV formats are being adopted by different countries and groups of countries that typically use different frame rates, as is the case with legacy television. Digital tv (dtv) refers herein to a particular television format and is not necessarily the same as so-called digital cable television. Digital TV (in this sense, actually digital broadcast television) actually defines (in the united states) eighteen different formats for broadcast television in digital format. Currently, HDTV represents at least six of these eighteen formats.

Disclosure of Invention

The present inventors have recognized a need to provide a content control system that is applicable to multiple TV standards and operates with conventional content management information (e.g., flags, control bits, data, copy protection signal(s), and/or modification signals). In particular, content control of high definition TV signals, including copy control, also referred to herein as copy protection, is required in future TV devices, such as TV transmitters, signal translators, recorders, players, displays, etc. Since "legacy" TV standards (e.g., 240p, NTSC, PAL, SECAM, VGA, etc.) also need to be accommodated, new content control systems are required to combine the legacy standards with newer TV higher definition standards (e.g., 720p, 1080i, 1080p, etc.) for content control.

Currently available TV/video circuits and machines accommodate various TV resolutions (standards) and also modify each TV standard by specific or programmable copy/content signal(s). The use of copy/content control with composite TV signals (e.g., NTSC or PAL) may not be directly applicable to RGB or component video waveforms. For example, the color stripe subcarrier signal for copy control may be applied to NTSC or PAL TV, but not to component TV/video waveforms lacking subcarrier signals. One embodiment operates with various TV standards for high definition TV. A cross platform system is implemented by mapping from copy/content control signal(s) of one TV standard to another.

Copy/content control on various platforms with different TV resolutions may be achieved by receiving data or programming information to configure copy/content control signals of different TV standards including HDTV, such as through reception of a transmission signal via fiber optic, satellite, internet, cable, or telephone line (DSL or dial-up). We can also store configuration information via media and/or memory (e.g., solid state, magnetic, and/or optical), and use the stored configuration information to program copy/content control signals across many TV standards. Thus, the configuration (of the copy/content control signal and/or the detection of said signal at multiple resolutions) is changeable or updatable.

The purpose of mapping copy/content control signals across different TV standards is to add security to the control system. The security control system does not allow "holes" so that all standards have some type of recognizable control signal, so that conversion to another standard is limited or prohibited, or is forced to output a converted video signal with an added copy/content control signal.

One embodiment of the present invention encodes or modifies a video signal that conforms to one or more HD (high definition) TV standards. TV signals conforming to each standard may include one or more modifications to portions of the HD signal. For example, each HDTV standard has its own type of modification or a modification in common with another HD TV standard.

Another embodiment is an apparatus or method for providing, generating, synthesizing, or processing a tri-level synchronized (sync) video signal into a video signal having a modified level in a portion of the tri-level synchronized video signal (e.g., which may be combined with a specific copy/content control bit) for at least one HDTV standard (e.g., TV is a combined video and audio signal).

Another embodiment is an apparatus for providing a high definition copy/content control signal in conjunction with providing a standard definition copy protection signal and/or a standard definition content control signal.

Another embodiment is a reader or detector that senses, reads, or detects a standard definition video signal with a content control or copy protection signal and has the capability to detect modifications on the HD video signal. For example, it may be a detector or reader device or software program capable of detecting signal modifications in SD and/or HD. The reader or detector may be embedded in a specific device or circuit.

Yet another embodiment is a digital TV tuner, apparatus and/or receiver that receives DTV (digital television) in HDTV and/or SDTV form and/or includes a converter for producing scaled analog and/or digital signals including generating copy protection, data and/or content control signal(s) for one or more analog and digital TV outputs. (note that this video signal conversion without content/copy control aspects is procedural in the art.) one example includes: the modified HDTV signal is generated by the ability to add one or more copy control signals in the SDTV standard. For example, the modified HDTV (and/or SDTV) type signal may include a modified sync pulse, a conventional AGC (automatic gain control) pulse, a data signal added to an overscan area, a rising or falling portion in an overscan area of a TV picture, and/or a conventional plesiochronous pulse. For example, reading or sensing any modification(s) in the HDTV signal may result in subsequent modifications in the SD video signal. This video conversion is procedural and is done by up-sampling or down-sampling of TV lines and fields. Commercial products (e.g., special DVD players) do this.

The tuner, device and/or receiver may for example process signals comprising: RF modulated signals (e.g., vestigial sideband AM, quadrature AM, DTV, ATSC, multilevel VSB, QAM multi-bit, PSK, AM, WiFi, WiMax, and/or FM) that comply with the united states FCC or international broadcast specifications for "off-air" broadcasting of analog and/or digital RF signals, along with analog NTSC or equivalent composite video signals, computer component video signals, digital signals (e.g., HDMI, SDI, DVI, USB, and/or fiber optic cable).

In one embodiment, the detector outputs a signal (or a signal of lack of presence) indicating content control signal modification in SD and/or HD. The output signal may or may not be used later. For example, once a modification is detected, the output or input video signal may be modified, stopped, or recorded in a particular manner (e.g., unable to record, recorded for a particular period of time, recorded with an added content control or copy protection signal, recorded with a different resolution, etc.).

Another embodiment is an apparatus wherein one or more input analog and/or digital TV signals are coupled to the apparatus and wherein one or more video signal outputs are output from the device. The device may receive a modified input video signal (e.g., containing at least a portion of one or more content control signals and/or a standard copy protection signal to couple/provide at least a portion of the content control signal and/or another standard copy protection signal), e.g., an analog and/or video signal of HD coupled to an input of such a device (e.g., a color transcoder, a/D and/or D/a, cross-platform standard converter, etc.), wherein the modification may result in a modification to one or more of the output SD (or HD or digital) signals (or vice versa).

The content control modification may include any combination of the following: one or more positive-going pulses, one or more negative-going pulses, a data signal, one or more incorrect color signals, a level change (e.g., a positive and/or negative level change) in a portion of a video signal, one or more synchronization pulse modifications (e.g., position, pulse width, and/or amplitude), added signal(s) for at least a portion of vertical and/or horizontal blanking interval(s), modified color burst of at least one period of incorrect phase and/or frequency, modulated signal(s) added/inserted in a portion of a video signal (where the modulated signal may include a combination of quadrature modulation, AM, FM, frequency hopping, PCM, PWM, PPM, spread spectrum modulation, PSK, BPSK, FSK, BFSK, etc.), which may include one or more control bits, one or more configuration bits, and/or the like.

Another embodiment includes various TV horizontal blanking interval signal back porch (or front porch) modifications to one or more HD TV standards in the field of copy protection. These HD modifications may include any number or series of positive and/or negative going pulses/signals in the TV signal trailing edge in addition to, and/or in place of, the trailing edge pulses. For example, one or more HD back porch pulse(s) (or HD plesiochronous signal (s)) may be used for detection by a reader and/or encoding for downstream content control purposes.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a reader device.

Fig. 2A shows an encoder or modifier.

Fig. 2B shows a generator or signal provider.

Fig. 2C shows a scaler or a color transcoder.

Fig. 3 shows a modifier.

Fig. 4 illustrates circuitry, devices, means, and/or software.

Fig. 5 illustrates signals and/or modifications to signals.

Fig. 6 illustrates waveform modifications for one or more HD signals.

Fig. 7A-7G and 8A-8E and 9 illustrate modifying color signals.

Fig. 10 illustrates a combination of circuit(s) and/or software program(s).

Fig. 11A and 11B illustrate a color stripe detector or a phase detector.

Fig. 12A and 12B illustrate a prior art network or distributed system.

Fig. 13A to 13D show embodiments with mapping and/or detection methods.

Fig. 14A and 14B illustrate the transition from one TV standard to another TV standard that includes content control or copy protection signal(s).

Fig. 15-19 show the mapping relationships or functions in matrix form for various TV formats and content control signal(s).

Fig. 20 shows in a table examples of various signal modifications for different TV standards.

Fig. 21 shows an example of content control signal mapping from the same or different TV standards in a matrix form.

Fig. 22 shows a reader or detector in a block diagram.

Fig. 23 shows a scaler (converter) in a block diagram.

Detailed Description

According to the present invention, the control or configuration bit(s) in the TV signal may be used to set or provide one or more modifications as HD, SD (standard definition), or low definition (e.g., low definition may be less than 525 lines) video signals. For example, the content control system defined in the following table is used in the exemplary embodiment.

TABLE 1

Table 1 shows copy control specifications of N0[0] through N0[7] specified using a set of 8 digital data bits to be inserted into or provided to a video signal as described herein to define various control management states. The first column shows the number of bits (zero to 7, where 7 is unused). The second column shows the control management state with respect to, for example, pay-to-tape (bit 6) or various known analog domain copy prevention schemes operating in the analog video domain, as defined by Macrovision, inc. see U.S. patent 6,381,747, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The third column shows the significance of each bit being "ON" (value 1) or OFF (value zero). The fourth column refers to the CPC, copy protection control or command CPC [0] to CPC [3 ].

TABLE 1a

Table 1a shows that in the prior art for NTSC TV standard (525 lines/field, 60 frames/second) timing information on NTSC video waveform of Macrovision corporation, color stripe processing is well known, which is bit 3 in table 1. (burst in Table 1a means video color burst.)

TABLE 1b

Table 1b similarly provides details in the prior art for the color stripe process of table 1. This process is traditionally used in 2 (video) line and 4 (video) line formats. "split burst" (split burst) refers to a feature in color stripe processing where only a portion of the color burst is altered. The color burst processing as defined in table 1b only occurs on the selected video, as shown.

TABLE 2a

TABLE 2b

Tables 2a and 2b are similar in the prior art to tables 1a and 1b, respectively, for PAL standard television (common outside the us) with 625 lines per field and 50 frames per second.

TABLE 3

Type of system

Per active line sampling

Active line per frame

Frame rate (Hz)

Scanning gridFormula (II)

Luminance sampling frequency

Brightness sampling period (T)

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

xBPP pulse

Total line of each frame

(MHz)

(nS)

Widtb

1920×1080/60/1:1

1920

1080

60

Line by line

148.500

6.734

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/59.94/1:1

1920

1080

59.95

Line by line

148.352

6.741

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/50/1:1

1920

1080

50

Line by line

148.500

6.734

484T

44T

44T

148T

720T

1920T

2640T

44T

1125

1920×1080/60/2:1

1920

1080

30

2:1 interlaced

74.250

13.468

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/59.94/2:1

1920

1080

29.97

2:1 interlaced

74.176

13.481

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/50/2:1

1920

1080

25

2:1 interlaced

74.250

13.468

484T

44T

44T

148T

720T

1920T

2640T

44T

1125

1920×1080/30/1:1

1920

1080

30

Line by line

74.250

13.481

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/29.97/1:1

1920

1080

29.97

Line by line

74.176

13.468

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/25/1:1

1920

1080

25

Line by line

74.250

13.481

484T

44T

44T

148T

720T

1920T

2640T

44T

1125

1920×1080/24/1:1

1920

1080

24

Line by line

74.250

13.468

594T

44T

44T

148T

830T

1920T

2750T

44T

1125

1920×1080/23.98/1:1

1920

1080

23.98

Line by line

74.176

13.481

594T

44T

44T

148T

830T

1920T

2750T

44T

1125

1920×1080/30/1:1 SF

1920

1080

30

Prog.SF

74.250

13.468

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/29.97/1:1 SF

1920

1080

29.97

Prog.SF

74.176

13.481

44T

44T

44T

148T

280T

1920T

2200T

44T

1125

1920×1080/25/1:1 SF

1920

1080

25

Prog.SF

74.250

13.468

484T

44T

44T

148T

720T

1920T

2640T

44T

1125

1920×1080/24/1:1 SF

1920

1080

24

Prog.SF

74.250

13.468

594T

44T

44T

148T

830T

1920T

2750T

44T

1125

1920×1080/23.98/1:1 SF

1920

1080

23.98

Prog.SF

74.176

13.481

594T

44T

44T

148T

830T

1920T

2750T

44T

1125

1280×720/60/1:1

1280

720

60

Line by line

74.250

13.468

70T

40T

40T

220T

370T

1280T

1650T

40T

750

1280×720/59.94/1:1

1280

720

59.94

Line by line

74.176

13.481

70T

40T

40T

220T

370T

1280T

1650T

40T

750

1280×720/50/1:1

1280

720

50

Line by line

74.250

13.468

400T

40T

40T

220T

700T

1280T

1980T

40T

750

1280×720/30/1:1

1280

720

30

Line by line

74.250

13.481

1720T

40T

40T

220T

2020T

1280T

3300T

40T

750

1280×720/29.97/1:1

1280

720

29.97

Line by line

74.176

13.468

1720T

40T

40T

220T

2020T

1280T

3300T

40T

750

1280×720/25/1:1

1280

720

25

Line by line

74.250

13.481

2380T

40T

40T

220T

2680T

1280T

3960T

40T

750

1280×720/24/1:1

1280

720

24

Line by line

74.250

13.468

2545T

40T

40T

220T

2845T

1280T

4125T

40T

750

1280×720/23.98/1:1

1280

720

23.98

Line by line

74.176

13.481

2545T

40T

40T

220T

2845T

1280T

4125T

40T

750

Note that: BBP pulse width measured at 50% point of the leading edge (leading edge) and trailing edge (trailing edge) of the pulse.

Table 3 shows the known HDTV format (standard) in each row (row) and the relevant parameters for this format in each column. Column A, B, C, D, E, F, G refers to the waveform parameters shown in fig. 6, which shows the waveform of the three-level sync pulse in the TV signal. A refers to a leading edge duration, B refers to a negative sync pulse duration, C refers to a positive sync duration, D refers to a trailing edge duration, E refers to a horizontal blanking interval duration, F refers to an active TV line duration, G refers to a line duration, and X refers to a positive pulse duration in a portion of the trailing edge region (e.g., of one or more selected TV lines). Thus, for example, "X" refers to BPP (back porch pulse, which is a known Macrovision copy protection signal) for a duration or pulse width of 40T or 44T, where T is 1/[ luminance sampling frequency ]. Table 3 is thus a detailed example of how a conventional copy-protected BPP (back porch pulse) signal can be implemented in various HD formats. Thus, table 3 and fig. 6 show a detailed example of how one type of content control signal (e.g., a back porch pulse or a forward pulse in the horizontal blanking interval) may be implemented for various HDTV standards. Other types of content control signal modifications may be implemented by the various HDTV standards listed in table 3. For example, a level-changing signal, a modulated waveform signal, a periodic (or non-periodic) signal of finite duration, a negative going signal or pulse, an erasure/attenuation, a position change, a scaling, or a blanking of at least a portion of any HDTV may be provided as a content control.

In one example, the presence of any (standard definition) signal modification of table 1, table 1a, table 1b, or any variant (e.g., different row assignments, different number of pulses, color burst modification, different positions, amplitudes, or durations of pulses, etc.) may be used to map a set of content control signals to another TV standard (e.g., HDTV or modification shown in table 3). For example, one or more modifications in an incoming HDTV signal may be sensed or read so that a set of corresponding signal modifications may be applied downstream to a lower definition type TV signal (e.g., standard and/or low definition TV).

Another example includes a signal where the TV standard 240p, 525I or 625I signal includes color bursts or subcarrier modifications (e.g., of incorrect phase or frequency) that are coupled to a compliant system that can provide a high definition TV signal. Such compliant systems, upon sensing a color burst or subcarrier modification in a signal other than the HDTV standard, may provide a modified HDTV signal (e.g., an HDTV signal provided in a blanking interval, a periodic or non-periodic signal, positive and/or negative going pulses in one or more TV lines). In another example, a compliant system may receive an HDTV signal that includes signal modifications (such as, for example, signals or pulses in a blanking interval), and that particular compliant system may provide a non-HDTV signal, which may include color burst or subcarrier modifications. Note that in these examples, the color burst or subcarrier modification may be replaced by other copy protection signals, such as quasi-sync pulses, AGC pulses, narrowed sync pulses, level change pulses (static and/or dynamic).

Fig. 1 shows, in a block diagram, a reader 10 that detects, reads, and/or interprets the herein described copy control modifications to an HD (or SD) TV signal input at terminal 11. For example, reader 10 may sense or read at least one trailing edge pulse, plesiochronous pulse, incorrect phase color signal, incorrect frequency color signal, incorrect brightness signal, rising or falling video portion (e.g., leading edge region and/or trailing edge region), and/or frequency of added signals in an input SD TV signal, while also having the ability to read similar modifications to the HD signal. Reader 10 may be coupled to receive analog and/or digital (TV) signals for detection or interpretation. The reader 10 may be embedded in, or may be part of, a device for converting analog HD/SD signals to one or more types of digital signals. Reader 10 may be used to control content control by sending a video signal output at terminal 12 that includes one or more commands to inhibit recording, transmission, and/or display in accordance with a copy control signal or data it reads from the input video. The reader 10 may include a signal on the output video to affect the digital output signal or include a "tag" signal.

The output signal from the reader 10 may be coupled to or integrated with an input terminal of a computer, recorder, player, network, encoder, video compressor, and/or video decompression device. The output signal of the reader 10 at the terminal 10 may include commands or controls sent to a computer, recorder, or the like to limit recording, viewing, or modify viewing/recording resolution. In essence, the output signal of reader 10 at terminal 12 is coupled to a control input terminal of a computer, recorder, player, network, encoder, video compressor, and/or video decompressor apparatus. For example, reader 10 may be used to limit recording, storing, transmitting, decompressing, and/or playing in a device based on interpreting signals (which may be in the form of low-definition signals, standard-definition signals, and/or high-definition signals) input at terminal 11.

Fig. 2A shows, in a similar block diagram, an encoding device 20 which can encode, for example, the modifications described above with reference to fig. 1 into a video signal input at a terminal 21, complying with one or more HD TV standards (and/or one or more SD (standard definition) standards or LD (low definition) standards). The modification signal may be triggered or commanded by one or more configuration or control bits and/or read modifications and/or data from the input analog signal. For example, the encoder 20 may encode any modifications as HD signals based on the command. The commands may come, for example, from one or more configuration bits and/or modifications read via reader 10 from LD, SD, and/or HD analog (or digital) signals.

In one example, encoder 20 has the capability to provide modifications to HD, SD, and/or LD signals output at its terminal 22. For example, encoder 20 may include providing color burst or subcarrier modification(s), AGC pulses, sync width or amplitude modification, horizontal blanking duration modification, and/or level changes of the LD and/or SD TV standards, while in HD, providing modification to a three-level sync signal, inserting/generating forward pulses in one or more horizontal or vertical blanking intervals.

Fig. 2B shows a block diagram of a generator 30 having an input terminal 31 and an output terminal 32, which, for example, generates various signals (e.g., positive and/or negative going signal(s), synchronization modifications, color signal modifications). The generator 30 may also be part of the encoder 20. Encoder 20 may also include subcarrier and/or synchronization processing to provide one or more subcarrier frequencies of the LD and/or SD TV standards, and/or synchronization position, duration, assignment (assignment) and amplitude parameters. Generator 30 or encoder 20 may include programmability that can be updated according to data, transmission, input, and/or storage method(s). This programmability allows for a cross platform or TV standard that can provide new content control or copy protection signals. The updated signal modification may be initiated at the system operator or via a transmission, data file, and/or control bit(s). Programmability features may also be provided to the reader 10 (e.g., so that when a new modification or content control signal is implemented, the reader may also be updated accordingly to track or interpret or sense any new content control signal or signal modification). The reader 10 may thus be a programmable reader for a cross platform (e.g., multiple TV standards, or HDTV standards, as well as other lower resolution TV standards).

Fig. 2C shows a sealer (color transcoder) 40 having an input terminal 41 and an output terminal 42, which allows to modify the input video signal at 41 to a different TV standard signal at the output terminal 42. The sealer may conventionally vary the line, pixel, and/or field rates. Alternatively, the sealer 40 may keep the same line and/or field rate and change the color standard. Block 40 may change the aspect ratio and/or invoke the mailbox format.

Fig. 3 shows in a block diagram an example of a video signal modifier device 50 which may be controlled by an n-bit control signal applied at terminal 53 from control logic 56 and/or an n-bit control signal applied at terminal 54 from logic 58. The output signal of the modifier 50 is at terminal 52.

Fig. 4 shows an example of a device or apparatus 60 that may receive one or more input signals IN (1) at input terminals 61,. ·. The device 60 may be a reader, a decoder, and/or an encoder. The input/output signal is, for example, digital video data, an RF video signal, a baseband video signal, or a modulated video signal.

In one implementation, the device 60 is, for example, an ATSC tuner, a set-top box, a cellular (mobile) phone (e.g., a cellular phone that receives DTV, HDTV, or ATSC signals), a WiFi, or a Wimax device that receives RF (radio frequency) signals. Upon receiving program video and content control commands in RF form, device 60 then outputs from its look-up table or performs a mapping function to provide content control signals (e.g., HDTV content control (or copy protection or weakened copy protection) signal(s) plus SD or LD copy protection (content control) signal (s)) for the multi-platform or cross-platform TV standard. Examples of HDTV copy protection signals are signals that produce erroneous gains to be provided in HD devices (e.g., AGC errors or clamping errors) and/or signals that produce unreliable timing or synchronization in HD devices (e.g., line or field/frame jitter or tearing effects). The HD content control signal may comprise a signal that is read or sensed by the compliant device to assert a command (e.g., turn off, change the quality of the video or audio, limit program usage, scramble, etc.).

In another example, device 60 receives a television signal conforming to a lower definition standard but outputs a higher definition standard video signal, or vice versa. For example, if the lower resolution signal is 240 scan lines per field and is provided to device 60, the output signal of device 60 may be a video signal having 480 or 720 or 1080 scan lines by performing scaling. One or more of the scaled output video signal(s) may then include content control, copy protection, or a weakened copy protection signal.

Note that the content control signal may comprise any portion of the copy-protection signal or any portion of the "weakened" copy-protection signal. An attenuated copy protection signal is a signal with little or no conventional copy protection effect, such as color bursts or subcarrier modifications (e.g., incorrect phase and/or frequency) with little or no effect on a conventional VCR (video tape recorder), meaning that there is little or no chroma copy protection, or attenuated versions of AGC and/or plesiochronous pulses, for a VCR to invoke little or no AGC effect on the VCR. However, the weakened signal may still be detected by the detector circuit and used for content control.

Fig. 5 shows (upper) various copy protection signal modifications in the form of a table, which can be applied to video signals conforming to various video standards (columns of the table, which are HD, SD and VGA). The lower part of the table shows examples of various types of well-known input/output video signals conforming to HD, SD, and VGA.

Fig. 6 (referenced above) shows an example of a video waveform showing the insertion/addition of positive and/or negative going pulses in one or more HD or tri-level sync level video signals. The added forward pulse is denoted as "X" and is located in part of the overscan region (e.g., in part of the trailing edge region, or in the horizontal or vertical blanking interval). In fig. 6, pulse X is a positive going pulse or signal having a variable or programmable duration, position or amplitude. Fig. 6 also shows a negative going pulse or signal, designated z, which may be generated or provided during an overscan portion of the video signal. Note that an overshoot or additional signal z1 may be added to pulse X. While in table 3 and fig. 6, nominal values for the amplitude, position, and/or duration of pulses z, z1, and X are provided, other values may be provided or used.

Fig. 8A illustrates a conventional video color burst waveform. Fig. 7A-7G, 8B-8E, and 9 illustrate various exemplary known copy protection type waveforms for modifying such conventional video color burst signals known in the general art of Macrovision and commonly referred to as "color stripe" processing. These waveforms are typically modifications (shown in shading) of otherwise conventional color bursts in the TV signal horizontal blanking interval of fig. 8A. The shaded areas shown indicate phase, duration, amplitude, and/or frequency modifications to the color burst, as explained in fig. 9. The reader 10 of fig. 1 detects indications of phase, duration, amplitude, and/or frequency modifications. For example, any of these waveforms may be sensed or detected in a video signal that otherwise conforms to one or more SDTV standards such that, among corresponding video signals in the HDTV standard, the HDTV signal is modified (e.g., by a corresponding HDTV content control signal or an HDTV signal that is transmitted, viewed or recorded in a content controlled manner (e.g., limited storage of the HDTV signal, limited access to the HDTV signal, or limited quality of the HDTV signal)). Conversely, when a content control or copy protection signal (or mark) is detected (e.g., in a compliant system) with or without, an HDTV signal may be output at a lower resolution including, for example, any of the waveforms (or variations) shown in fig. 7A-7G, 9, or with the addition of another content control or copy protection signal (e.g., a quasi-sync pulse, an AGC pulse, a narrowed sync pulse, or a weakened copy protection signal).

Fig. 10 shows in block diagram an example of a most conventional TV set-top box, device 80. It may also be part of a mobile phone, PDA or other networked device. In one embodiment, device 20 provides both SD and HD TV outputs. The low definition TV signal output from the device 80 may be provided with an SD signal output or an HD signal output. For each TV standard (e.g., including HD), the configuration bit or hardware determines the content control signal(s). Configuration bits may be stored, transmitted, programmed, or otherwise input to apply the content control signal(s) across multiple platforms or TV standards. For example, the SD type output signal may include one or more AGC pulses, quasi-sync pulses, narrowed or widened sync pulses, modified subcarrier signals in one or more HBIs or VBIs, BPPs, level varying portions, or data signals.

The device 80 includes an input terminal 82 for receiving digitally compressed input TV or video, a demodulator 84, a demultiplexer 86, a decoder 88, a conditional access system module 90, a processor (CPU)92, a memory 94, a storage software application 96 and an electronic program guide 98, flash memory for configuration 100, audio processing circuitry 108, and an audio output terminal 110. Also provided is most conventional NTSC/PAL TV encoder 104. in accordance with the present invention, encoder 104 also has configuration bits 106 for determining copy protection, control registers and on/off bits 108 for determining copy protection ("ACP") 102, and has a video output terminal 111 for the 3 types of video shown.

For example, the HD signal provided from device 80 may include BPP, data signals, negative and/or positive going signals or pulses, and/or modifications to luminance and/or chrominance channels. For example, if color burst (or subcarrier) modification is applied to a composite or S video signal, modification of Pb and/or Pr (colors, e.g., RGB) or color difference channels for component video output may be provided by the HD or progressive TV standard (e.g., 480p or 576 or 720p or 1080p) or the interlaced component TV standard. One example of a modification to the Pb and/or Pr channel modifies the level, or provides a waveform in a portion of the HBI, VBI or overscan area in one or more colors or color channels. Alternatively, if color bursts or subcarrier modifications are sensed in the composite or S-video, the content control signal (S) may be provided over the Y or luminance channel of the HD TV signal.

Fig. 11A shows in a block diagram a known type of apparatus for implementing the present video signal modification by detecting the color burst modification of fig. 7 and 8. Conventionally for detecting Macrovision color burst copy protection signals (shown in fig. 7 and 8), the fig. 11A device includes a color stripe (line) location memory 112, an oscillator 116, and a phase detector 118. Upon receiving the desired input signal, the modification circuit 122 outputs the modified video signal at its "video out" terminal.

Phase detector 118 is replaced in other embodiments by a copy protection modification detector that detects AGC phase, quasi-sync pulses, incorrect color frequency in overscan regions, scaling effects, etc. Such a modification detector senses, for example, a color stripe signal or an incorrect color frequency signal and provides a signal indicating the presence of an incorrect color subcarrier or burst signal. The indication signal drives another circuit that inserts or generates a copy protection signal, a weakened copy protection signal, a control bit, or a content control signal into the high resolution video signal. Fig. 11B shows circuit details of the conventional phase detector 118.

Fig. 12A and 12B show a pictorial example of a prior art digital network environment, which may include a set top box, a cellular telephone, a PDA, or the like. Here, the digital network can provide standard and high definition signals through each TV standard with programmed content control signals. Such a digital network can send commands (e.g. mode, APS, ECM/EMM and/or configuration bits) to enable or disable or apply different forms of content control signals, or to change the degree or defeat (consumed) content control signals for high definition TV or high definition TV plus another TV standard. Currently, analog HD content control signals are not commercially implemented. One embodiment of the present invention used in the environment of fig. 12A, 12B includes HD analog content control signals as well as content control signals of different TV standards (e.g., SD and LD). That is, one example is a chip or device that implements one set of content control signals for HD and another set of copy protection signals for SD and/or LD TV standards. Currently, no commercial device implements the content control signal disclosed in US 2006/0093140. According to the invention, these devices will include compatibility with HD and another TV standard, with content control signals, typically with a different set of content control signals for each TV standard.

In fig. 13A, 13B and 13D, the devices 501, 502 and 504 are each an example of a device (apparatus) according to the present invention that provides and/or detects a plurality of TV standard content control signals including at least an HD analog content control signal. The input video signal (digital or analog) is coupled to means 501 which are provided for various TV standards by means of input control type signals CP copy protection and/or content control signals. The device 501 thus enables analog HD copy protection or content control over other TV standards. In one implementation, the device 501 includes compatibility with content control signals of different types of copy protection or different types of TV resolution. However, the device 501 may typically provide programmable or pre-settable content control or control of copy protection signals independently for each set of TV resolutions. For example, a set of resolutions may include a combination of LD, SD, and/or HD. One example is with standard definition and high definition, but other combinations are possible.

The mapping function or programmability of the various copy protection and/or content control signals in the device 501 may be updated via transmission, input, or storage methods. The control type signal CP may include one or more mode, APS, and/or configuration bit(s). The signal CP may also be a function of reading data from a video source (e.g., CGMS, etc.). In the prior art for standard resolution television, the copy protection waveform may be updated via a digital file, a transmitted file, or by inputting data to a set-top box or compliant device. This feature is here implemented in the device 501 to change the HD analog content control signal in a similar way.

In fig. 13B, device 502 illustrates the mapping function of device 501 including a detector DET that detects analog and/or digital signal(s). The device 502 thus detects, for example, a TV signal of a particular TV standard and a corresponding associated copy protection signal, wherein the output of the device 502 provides the analog content control signal of the HD TV. Alternatively, device 502 may receive an HD TV signal and an analog content control signal, and device 502 may output a copy protection signal or a content control signal that conforms to the SD or LD TV standard. For example, reading a particular number of trailing edge pulses from the HD signal may cause device 502 to output a combination of AGC, plesiochronous, color stripes, narrowed syncs, reduced portions of video, and the like, for scaling down the SD and/or LD signals. In another illustration, the device 502 can receive a combination of an SD or LD TV signal and AGC, plesiochronous, color striping, narrowed synchronization, reduced portions of video, etc., and then the device 502 can output a particular location and/or number of trailing edge pulses in the HD signal and the analog HD signal.

The device 502 allows for receiving an HD signal of one type of content control signal and outputting the HD of another content control signal. In one example, device 502 detects a particular copy protection or content control signal of one TV standard, but outputs TV signals of one or more different TV standards. Any of these different TV standards may have, for example, on their own or dependently, pre-settable or programmable content control or copy protection signals. Device 502 may also output video having the same type of resolution as the input video or a scaled version of the input. In one example, a standard definition video signal is input to the device 502 and the output of the device 502 is a high definition video signal having a set of content control waveforms or signals. For example, if the input signal to device 502 is an NTSC format with plesiochronous/AGC pulses, narrowed sync and/or color stripe burst signals, the output of device 502 may be high definition component video (RGB, or Y, Pb, Pr, etc.) with back porch pulses or HBI (horizontal blanking interval) signals.

An example of the apparatus 502 is a circuit or apparatus that includes a detector to detect one or more of the following signals for addition in a portion of an HD or tri-level synchronized video signal: A) positive or negative going pulses in the overscan area, B) waveforms provided in portions of the HD or tri-level sync video signal, C) AGC (or quasi-sync or sync) pulse position and/or pulse width, D) AGC (quasi-sync or sync) pulse amplitude, E) detecting quasi-sync pulses which may be tri-level or bi-level, F) counting and/or identifying line/field/frame positions of AGC pulses, quasi-sync pulses or added waveforms, G) trailing edge or AGC signal detector, H) trailing edge or AGC pulse/signal counter; and either one or more of the following for non-HD or non-tri-level synchronized video signals: 1) a color burst modification detector (e.g., a color stripe detector), 2) a color burst amplitude (amplitude variation) detector, 3) a frequency detector (e.g., a device or circuit for detecting an incorrect color (or audio) subcarrier frequency or an incorrect (color and/or audio) subcarrier frequency for an associated TV standard), 4) a quasi-sync pulse detector, 5) an AGC pulse detector, 6) an added/generated waveform (e.g., in the range of 10KHz to 10MHz in a portion of an overscan region) detector, 7) a level variation (positive and/or negative) portion detector of the leading and/or trailing edge, 8) a sync/quasi-sync duration detector, a sync/position detector, a sync/quasi-amplitude detector, an added/generated signal detector of one or more component video channels (positive and/or negative going pulse provided in an overscan region), a sync/quasi-sync duration detector, a sync/quasi-amplitude detector, a sync/quasi-sync detector, a added/generated signal Portions of a burst/signal/waveform or blanking interval), a detector of a deleted portion of the video signal.

The apparatus 502 may be an encoding (or encoder-decoder portion-codec) apparatus or circuit that receives digital and/or analog signals and provides HD standards in the form of ACP (e.g., modified for HD signals, or no ACP signals, or no valid ACP signals), and provides video signals that are not HD (e.g., SD or LD or composite (PAL, SECAM or NTSC)). Note that 502 may provide a form of composite HD or multiplexed component signals. Part of the apparatus 502 is a detector DET which detects the content control or copy protection or ACP signal or HD and bits of another TV standard.

In another example, a high definition component video signal having a back porch, HBI (horizontal blanking interval), AGC, or quasi-sync signal is input to the apparatus 502, and the device outputs a composite video signal having color stripe signal(s), quasi-sync, sync narrowing, and/or back porch signals. A color stripe signal is generally defined herein as one or more cycles of a color burst that are inserted or added in one or more HBIs and are of incorrect phase or frequency. The color stripe signal may or may not have the actual copy protection effect here.

The legacy device 503 of fig. 13C performs a legacy zoom function, well known in the art, that transcodes (converts) from one TV standard to another, e.g., from SD to HD format, and vice versa. The SD format may include PAL, SECAM, NTSC, 480p, and/or 576 p. HD may include interlaced or progressive formats. Such scaling is traditionally performed in set-top boxes and digital media players.

In another embodiment shown in fig. 13D, a conventional low-definition video source 504 (including control type signals) scaled to standard and/or high definition provides a video signal to device 505. The apparatus 505 is specifically meant to operate a low resolution TV signal source 504 (e.g., 240p format or the format or type of video signal provided from various portable devices (e.g., cell phone, portable game, iPod, etc.)). An example of apparatus 505 receives a low-definition video signal (even with a reduced frame rate, e.g., 20 or 15 frames per second from source 504) and upconverts it to an HD or HD and SD TV signal with one or more sets of content control signals. The low-definition signal may have a set of content control or copy protection signal (S), and the video output of the device 505 may have preprogrammed content control and/or copy protection signals of SD and HD via a mapping (e.g., mapping function "S") function of SD or a mapping (e.g., mapping function "H") function of HD.

Fig. 14A shows a general example of a signal conforming to TV standard a from a signal source 510 coupled to a device 511, the device 511 having a detector/encoder (for detecting and also decoding copy protection or content control signals) and an ACP mapping function (e.g., a look-up table) to output a signal conforming to TV standard B, C, D or the like over a mapped content control and/or copy protection signal (which may be an included SD or HD). The source 510 is, for example, a DVD player, a tuner, a set-top box, the internet, etc. that conforms to a particular TV standard. Typically, the output signal may be HD, so that the device 511 can scale the HD signal to another TV standard with an associated set of copy protection signals (e.g., LD with a plesiochronous signal or a color stripe or AGC signal). Alternatively, source 510 may output a signal such as PAL, NTSC, or SECAM provided via a DVD player, tuner, set-top box, internet other than HD, device 511 scaled to the HD standard (1080p, 1080i, or 720p, or other HD formats, or VGA/super VGA standards), with a set of content control signals mapped via ACP. Fig. 14A thus shows how a TV signal of one standard (e.g. NTSC) from a source 510 is coupled to a device 511 according to the invention. In device 511, a detector senses any copy protection or content control signals from source 510. These content control signals include a subset of APS, configuration, or mode bits, or ACP signals (e.g., plesiochronous, narrowsync, AGC pulses, color burst modifications, etc.). Upon detection of one or more elements of the ACP signals and content control signals from the source 510 within the device 511, for example, a collective ACP mapping function described below in which "f" of the ACP signals of the device 510 are mapped to "g" { ACP signals } n-1, where "g" generally represents a new set of content control and/or ACP signals for each different TV standard (of the source 510). In this example, since source 510 is viewed as conforming to an NTSC format, mapping function "g" can output HDTV signal(s) at 720p, 1080i and/or 1080p through an associated set of content control or copy protection signals of the HDTV standard(s).

In fig. 14B, video signal source 520 is a conventional program source and device 521 is an embodiment showing a video signal from source 520 linked or coupled to scaling means and encoder 521 to provide a new TV standard with content control and/or copy protection signal(s). The apparatus 521 includes the ACP mapping function of the device 511 when a transformation of different TV standards is made by different sets of ACP or content control signals.

The usual way to represent the functionality of the above described embodiments of the invention is logically f (TV standard)₀{ ACP Signal }) → g (TV Standard)_1-n{ ACP Signal_1-n}). Here, for example, a TV standard "0" having a set of ACP signals "0" is transformed or mapped into TV standards "1-n" having one or more sets of ACP signals "1-n". ACP (anti-copy processing) refers to copy protection signals, weakened copy protection signals, video signal modifications, and/or content control signals. Here, n is the number of TV standards. For example, table 3 above shows 24 TV standards, thus n-24 or the TV standards labeled from 0 to 23, yielding 24 TV standards, "f" generally refers to the first TV standard along with the associated ACP or content control signal mapped to "g," a set of at least one different TV standard and the associated ACP or content control signal. In device 521, a group of ACP signals may be different ACP signals, weakened ACP signals, or a failed/removed version of an ACP signal. Thus, the apparatus 521 represents both an encoder or "black box" (e.g., a spoofing device) for processing sets of ACP signals including HD. For example, apparatus 521 may receive NTSC copy protection video with plesiochronous and/or color striped ACPs and generate HD or PAL signals without content control or copy protection signals.

Fig. 15-19 show the specific TV standards of "f" and "g" described above in matrix diagrams. These figures show the mathematical vectors mapped to a new set of vectors. That is, fig. 15 to 19 mathematically show how signals are represented as signal vectors and how the signal vectors are transformed as in fig. 14A and 14B. The ACP signal of each of fig. 15 to 19 may include: one or more content control signals, one or more copy protection enhancement signals (e.g., sync modifications, level-shifted portions of a video signal, sawtooth sync pulses), color burst modifications (e.g., of incorrect phase, duration, amplitude, and/or frequency), weakened content control signals, weakened copy protection signals, data signals, modified data signals, waveforms added/generated in portions of a video signal, failed (or not) content control signals, failed (or not) copy protection signals, and/or failed (or not) copy protection enhancement signals. For example, if the original signal is NTSC, which contains an AGC/PS signal, the VGA signal can include the AGC/plesiochronous signal to the selected row in the green channel of the VGA video signal. For AGC/plesiochronous signals from PAL or NTSC, the output HDTV signal will have AGC pulses in the selected horizontal blanking interval, but not necessarily any plesiochronous pulses.

According to the invention, this is a routine project for designing and manufacturing a chip or device that receives the video content control or copy protection signal of one TV standard and converts the video to another TV standard with the content control or copy protection signal removed as described above. That is, the chip or device may ignore APS bits, or analog copy protection or content control signals, and convert to a new TV format for use by anyone. In the case of a failed ACP signal (meaning that the ACP signal is weakened or removed), for example, a system of one TV standard may have at least some type of copy protection, or the content control system may switch to another TV standard which nullifies/modifies/removes/attenuates copy protection signals or content control. For example, a TV signal with copy protection for HDTV may be converted to an SDTV signal with an invalid ACP copy protection signal or without an ACP signal. "ineffective" is here similar to weakened, but does not include no effect. In one embodiment, fig. 14A and 14B-fig. 19 illustrate operation of a spoofing device (circuit vision device), for example, when the resulting map mathematically in range provides invalid or removed ACP signals. For example, in the apparatus 521, if the mapping relationship or function "g" has ACP signals 1-n of zero or invalid ACP signals, this will result in the device 521 being an ACP spoofing device. For example, in "g", the ACP signal is 0; or "g" indicates that no ACP is present or that the content control signal is supplied to the transformed TV signal.

Conversely, a TV signal of one standard without an ACP signal may be converted to a signal conforming to another TV standard with an ACP signal. For example, an SDTV signal without ACP can be converted to an HDTV signal in the form of ACP. In this example, in "f" the ACP signal is 0, but in "g" the ACP signal is AGC pulses or (equivalent) color stripe signals or pulse alignment sync/AGC signals or content control signals or video signal modifications. Whenever the TV standard is scaled or changed, it may be necessary to add copy protection or content control signals, regardless of the original input signal.

Fig. 15-19 thus illustrate vector representations of the operation of the device 521 mapped as matrices, where each column of each matrix represents a particular TV standard and/or a set of content control and/or copy protection signal(s). The vector may be a look-up table implemented in logic or software in the means 521 (or 511) for implementing with respect to the added signal when scaling the TV standard. Thus, the vector represents a specification at the chip level or at the operational level of the chip or device. For example, assume that there is a specific multi-TV standard that conforms to a DVR (digital video recorder) having an NTSC input. The vector describes the command device, and when NTSC signals and ACP signals (e.g., color stripe signals) are recorded, the output playback can be HDTV (e.g., 720p or 1080i) containing trailing edge pulses (or HDTV signal modifications). In fig. 15, a matrix 530 represents a domain, and a matrix 531 represents a range. Thus, matrix 530 is the domain or input signal prior to conversion to a different TV standard, and matrix 531 is the range or signal that has been converted to another TV standard. The arrows represent a mapping relationship or function that may represent a change or transformation of the TV standard and/or ACP/content control signals. The arrows indicate transitions in the TV standard, but also indicate that a set of ACP signals can be changed or transformed as well. Depending on the transformation function, which is typically stored in memory, transmitted or downloaded to the device 521 (or 511).

For example, fig. 15 shows the functionality of the sealer and encoder apparatus 521. A signal of one type of digital or analog TV signal having a set of copy protection/content control signals or bits is transformed into a new type of TV signal having a set of copy protection/(content control signal (s)/bits that can be changed or transformed or added/provided or deleted (or vice versa). In another example, one of the TV standards in the matrix 531 includes at least a three-level sync or HD signal.

In yet another example, fig. 15 represents the functionality of the decoding device (decoder) in matrix form. Here, a standard video source with its associated content control/(copy protection) signal is coupled or linked to the apparatus comprising the decoding device in fig. 14A. The detector may sense only the presence of a particular ACP signal (or content control signal). The detector will additionally interpret the signal. For example, the detector may detect the plesiochronous pulses, but the decoder may also output the detected plesiochronous pulses or the position of the plesiochronous pulses at the VBI. The reader senses, counts or locates the pulses and then interprets the meaning of the pulses. Thus, the reader may include, for example, three plesiochronous pulse elements to indicate that found in line 10 of the NTSC VBI, meaning conversion to format 720p, and close the recording after 1 hour. The decoder detects a particular TV standard and/or its associated content control/(copy protection) signal and generates or provides an indication signal (e.g. the TV standard, the content control information or the copy protection signal). The indication signal may then be used to provide different TV standards and a set of content control or copy protection signals or video signal modification or deletion signal(s). For example, an HD signal with a set of ACP signals is provided via transmission or storage and coupled to an apparatus comprising a decoding device. The decoding device may provide an output SD or LD signal without ACP, content control signal(s), or SD or LD signal modifications. In one case, the HD compliant signal may have any ACP signal defined as follows: no copy protection signal, no content control signal, no copy protection signal, or no content control signal.

A decoding device (decoder) may receive a non-protected signal of one TV standard and use a programmed algorithm or look-up table to output another TV standard with content control, copy protection or signal modification. This may be a default condition or assume that the unprotected video signal is initially a "hacked" version of the copy-protected video signal. For example, the non-protected video signal provided via the black box may still have portions of the original copy-protected signal (e.g., a narrowed sync or reduced back porch, or one or two back porch pulses). Upon sensing portions of any remaining modified or original copy-protection signals, the decoding apparatus will change the TV standard and apply a more complete (e.g., valid) set of content control signals. The decoding device may then also be used for receiving TV signals and providing TV signals in the form of added, enhanced, weakened, or invalidated content control/(multiple) copy protection signals. Assuming that the input source input video interlaced signal has only a BPP (back porch) ACP signal, the decoding apparatus may add PS (plesiochronous) pulses (e.g., 480p or 720p) of the progressive TV standard to prevent the input ACP signal from being displayed on the monitor. Reviewing content control may involve disabling display (as opposed to disabling recording), so we can then say that the BPP signal included in the progressive TV format will stop recording and the added PS pulses will stop displaying, so content control is enhanced, but the video signal may still be transmitted, for example.

Another device implementing fig. 15 is a color transcoder that converts between TV standards. The color transcoder may receive, for example, the HD signal with modifications (e.g., back porch pulses, quasi-syncs, AGC pulses, added waveforms, sync modifications, etc.) and then output another standard (e.g., SD or LD) digital or analog signal with or without content control/(s) copy protection signal, or vice versa (e.g., SD or LD in and HD out in the color transcoder).

The color transcoder device may receive and output the same standard, but provide different signal modifications with respect to the type of content control or copy protection signal(s). For example, the copy-protection signal of the first type a is coupled to an input of the device, which in turn outputs a copy-protection signal of the second type. Both types of copy-protection signals may have no copy-protection/content-control signal in common, or at least one signal or modification in common (e.g., both may include negative or positive going pulses, synchronous modifications, or added waveforms, etc.). Similarly as described herein above, the conditions of the two types of copy protection can be applied to a device that receives one TV standard and outputs a different TV standard. With respect to the color transcoder, the device may include (or be coupled to) a recorder, a storage device, a computer, and/or a transmitter.

Fig. 20 shows a lookup table (mapping function) of ACP signals for the HD, SD, and LD standards similar to fig. 5. Each column of fig. 20 labeled "x" indicates a set of elements (ACP or content control signal) of each TV standard, as described above with reference to "f" or "g" of fig. 14B, device 521. Fig. 5 and 20 are only examples, and other features such as BPP and the like than those listed may be added or different lists of the features may be listed for each TV standard. The elements are enabled, for example, by memory circuitry or control bit(s). The set of elements may be changed or updated to provide a list of ACP or content control signals for any TV standard including HD. In this illustration, the modified color burst signal typically appears on a signal conforming to a composite interlaced TV standard (e.g., NTSC or PAL) and/or a low definition composite format (e.g., NTSC 240 progressive). Typically, there are no such equivalently modified color burst signals in the component video signals (e.g., RGB or Y, Pr, Pb). However, as an option we can modify in the HBI or Y luminance channel of the color difference Pr and/or Pb channel to carry the equivalent to the modified color burst. BPP, PS, and others are merely examples of content control or copy protection signals that may be used in any combination. Typically, these signals are applied differently to different TV standards, as can be seen in fig. 20. For example, PS (plesiochronous) is included for SD, but PS is not used in HD.

Fig. 21 is a diagram similar to fig. 15 and shows that in some cases the two different TV formats are of substantially the same resolution. In fig. 15, TV STANDARD _0 of matrix 530 may have the same resolution as TV STANDARD _1 of matrix 531. For example PAL-M has the same resolution as NTSC, or SECAM has the same resolution as PAL. Thus, detection of one content control or copy protection signal may apply a different content control and/or copy protection signal. One example of a difference is to have modifications by adding and/or deleting one or more signals (or portions of one or more signals) at matrix 591 of fig. 21 according to the original signals of matrix 590. In fig. 21, the lower left matrix is 594 and the lower right matrix is 595. In some chips or devices, the ACP and/or content control signals may be proprietary, as in matrices 592 through 595. Thus, there may be proprietary copy protection type X, Y or Macrovision in matrices 592 through 595. Thus, in the present method, a TV signal program video source may contain an ACP signal or content control signal of type Y, and the device receives this signal and outputs a TV signal of a different standard but with ACP or content control signal(s) of type X. Thus, a receiving device (e.g., device 502 in FIG. 13B) may include a detector for detecting or reading content control or copy protection signals from multiple types. A similarly functioning device (e.g., device 510 or 502 or an IC (integrated circuit)) would be able to provide two or more types (e.g., trademarks) of ACP or content control signals. In another example, assume that a digital video bitstream is provided to a set-top box or media player (e.g., portable ATSC, DTV, and recorders) having Macrovision type APS or configuration bits that can output a digital (or analog) signal having type X content control bit(s) and/or output a (HD) analog video signal having type X copy protection signal (or vice versa).

Fig. 22 is a block diagram of a reader or sensing system operating on an analog or digital input video signal in accordance with the present invention and primarily includes conventional components in addition to those shown herein. The input digital video signal VideoD (or the output of the analog-to-digital converter 601) is coupled to a timing generator 603 via a selection link 602. Decoder 609 receives the digital video stream selected from link 602. The decoder 609 typically decodes the composite TV signal (e.g., digitized from the a/D converter 601) into component video signals (e.g., R, G, B or Y, Pb, Pr). In some cases, the decoder 609 may be bypassed if the input digital signal is already in the format of a component video signal. The luminance and/or chrominance component signals are then coupled to a plurality of threshold detectors (e.g., detectors 605, 606, and 607) for sensing particular portions of the digital video stream. The timing generator 603 extracts the field/frame signals from the digital video signal to provide horizontal and vertical rate reference signals, which are then coupled to a generator circuit 604. The circuit 604 provides a strobe signal for each location of the video signal that is to be checked for any content control signal or copy protection signal.

For example, signal strobe 1 may coincide with a selected row and a selected pixel portion in a vertical blanking interval. Thus, the signal strobe 1 "window" is in the period or interval in which the quasi-synchronization and/or AGC pulses occur. Strobe 1 is then coupled to detector 605, which is a threshold detector (e.g., set to greater than a blanking level to detect AGC pulses, or set to less than a blanking level to detect quasi-sync pulses in the luminance or Y channel from decoder 609). The output of the detector 605 is coupled to a logic circuit 608, which logic circuit 608 can then identify the presence of a positive or negative going pulse in the video signal via the identification signal output LG. Such an identification signal provides a signal indicative of the location of the ACP signal (e.g., pulse-quasi-sync and/or AGC) and/or the number of said pulses per TV line. Such identification may include the width or duration of each pulse sensed. (in general, the threshold detector may be implemented to include a digital comparator circuit.)

In another example, signal strobe 2 may coincide with the Horizontal Blanking Interval (HBI), which may then allow threshold detector 606 to sense either the luminance of decoder D609 or a positive or negative going pulse in the portion of the HBI of the Y-channel.

In another example, the color signals Pb and/or Pr from decoder D609 are coupled to a threshold detector 607, where the strobe N signal coincides with the video back porch portion. If a color stripe signal or color burst modification (in part or in whole) occurs in the video, the decoded signals Pb and/or Pr will exhibit different signal levels than the normal phase color burst signal. Thus, threshold detector 607 may then generate a signal indicative of ACP color burst modification, and the output of detector 607 is coupled to logic 608.

The logic circuit 608 (via its output signal LG) then indicates one or more of the following:

positive and/or negative going signals in portions of the video signal,

the added waveform in the portion of the video signal,

phase changes in color bursts, e.g., color stripe processing or weakened or disabled color stripe processing,

the length of the color burst (modified or unmodified),

the magnitude of the color burst is such that,

the pixel and/or row location of the phase change of the color burst,

and/or the number of fields or frames per field or color burst modification.

The circuit elements 605-608 allow identification or reading of up to N types of signals or modifications to the video signal. The output signal LG of the logic 608 may then be coupled to a CPU or a computational (or arithmetic) unit (see fig. 23). For example, the CPU may determine a set of (received) ACP or content control signals (e.g., "f" in device 521, fig. 14B), and then provide a set of ACP or content control signals of different TV standards (e.g., "g" in device 521) via circuit elements 626 or 628 or 629 of fig. 23 and via the output of encoder 624 of fig. 23.

Logic 608 may also include or have an association with its frequency and/or phase detector (not shown) to sense waveforms of a selected frequency. In some cases, one or more cycles of a particular frequency may be used for the content control signal, thus indicating that one or more cycles are sensed in the frequency range in the output LG of the logic 608.

The circuit elements 605-608 of fig. 22 may be coupled to an (input) digital video stream video a via a selector 602 to read digital data (e.g., APS bit(s), configuration bit(s), control bit (s)) or any other data representing a set of ACP or content control signals. The data may then be coupled to a CPU (see fig. 23) which then allows a set of ACP or content control signals to be applied to different TV standards. For example, the data or bits may be provided in a DVD signal stream; or the bit(s) may be provided by a set-top box (or mobile device) control bit received from a system operator (e.g., via transmission, cable, fiber optic, wireless, etc.), or a bit stored in a medium, or by a data input.

In some cases, the content control signal(s), copy protection signal(s), data, and/or waveform modification may be read or sensed in the analog domain from the analog input video a. Further, sensing or reading can be accomplished by any combination of analog and/or digital (or software) domains. In fig. 22, an analog video signal video a is coupled to a timing generator a 610, and the timing generator a 610 then outputs horizontal and field/frame rate signals to a line/pixel generator a 611. Row/pixel generator a 611 outputs a strobe signal in accordance with one or more signal modifications. For example, the generator 611 may output one or more signals that are logic high during the VBI portion (e.g., where the quasi-sync/AGC pulse is inserted or added) and/or during the HBI portion (e.g., where the color stripe signal is added or inserted). The generator 611 may then output a signal indicative of the modification of the one or more portions of the video signal.

In an example, for sensing positive or negative going pulses, the gating signals of the VBI portions are coupled to enable the comparator circuit 612 to output logic signals Out C, Out Cm indicative of positive (e.g., data, CGMS, AGC, positive level changing portions of a video signal, periodic waveform) or negative going pulses (e.g., plesiochronous pulses, lowered portions of a video signal, periodic waveform) in the VBI portions. Logic circuit a613 is coupled to receive these output signals from comparator 612 to provide one or more signal outputs LGA indicative of at least a portion of the content control and/or copy protection signals. The logic a circuit 613 may also provide the location (e.g., row, field/frame, and/or pixel location), duration, and number of one or more pulses/signals detected in its output signal output LGA.

For color burst modification detection in the analog domain, the input analog video A signal is typically coupled to a PLL 614, which may be a phase locked loop circuit (PLL) or a Burst Continuous Oscillator (BCO) or equivalent (e.g., a ringing circuit). The output of PLL 614 is a signal of the average phase of the color burst, which is coupled to phase detector 615. A phase detector 615, having the output of line/pixel generator a 611, provides a signal indicating TV lines with normal and/or abnormal phase. The output of the phase detector 615 is coupled to a logic circuit C616, the logic circuit C616 providing an output signal output C indicative of the color burst modification (color stripe). The output signal output C of logic C may also indicate one or more of the following (see fig. 9):

duration of color burst

Number of color burst phase switching points

The number of abnormal color bursts or the number of color burst modifications per duration (e.g., field or frame).

Location of TV rows with color burst modification

Type of color stripe processing

Duration of normal and/or abnormal phase portions of a modified color burst

Absence or extension of at least a portion of a color burst (which may be used for content control)

Note that the above is an example, and other characteristics of the modified color burst may appear and be indicated (e.g., frequency, modulation, and/or amplitude). It should be noted that all these features may be present in the digital domain and that the signal output LG from the circuit 608 may comprise the type of signal in the output signal LGA from logic a613 and/or logic C616, and vice versa.

Such a reader or detector may be programmable. Programmability of readers or detectors of multiple TV standards (e.g., including HD format) allows identification of content control signals, copy protection signals, or other modified signals to be changed or updated.

Fig. 23 shows in a block diagram a sealer according to the present invention for converting one TV standard to another TV standard and in some embodiments used in conjunction with the reader device of fig. 22. The input video digitized luma and chroma signals are coupled to memory elements (e.g., registers) 621 and 622, respectively. The memory elements 621 and 622 store video signals in component form with respect to pixels and lines. The output signals of elements 621 and 622 are coupled to a formatting or signal processing circuit 623, which typically includes circuitry for decimation (e.g., for shortening the signal with respect to time) and/or interpolation applied to the input luminance and chrominance signals (e.g., for extending the signal with respect to time). The output of formatter 623 then provides the pixels and rows of the new TV standard (denoted Y 'and (Pb/Pr)'), which are coupled to circuitry 624 (including encoder 625 and waveform generator 626). The encoder 625 typically inserts or adds a new synchronization signal appropriate for the new TV standard. If a composite or subcarrier signal is desired, encoder 625 includes a digital-to-analog converter and modulation circuitry for the generated subcarriers. An optional digital-to-analog converter in encoder 624 provides an analog output signal in the form of a composite S-video and/or component video signal.

For the TV signal (of the new standard) from encoder 625, waveform generator 626 adds or provides the appropriate copy control/copy protection signal modifications to the video signal of the new TV standard. The generator 626 may receive instructions from the configuration control system 628, and the configuration control system 628 may have preset or stored or data-in bits to command the waveform generator 626 to provide one or more modifications in the new TV signal. Table 636 shows an exemplary list of such modifications implemented by waveform generator 626 for the converted video signal.

Waveform generator 626 generates, for example, AGC pulses (e.g., positive pulses) or other signals of the newly converted or scaled TV signal. The CPU627 controls the elements 621, 622, 623, 625, 626 and/or 628 through its memory 630. The CPU627 receives information (outputs LG or LGA or output C signals), for example, from the reader of fig. 22 for identifying a set of content control or copy protection signal(s) from an input video signal (e.g., a set of ACP or content control signals from "f" in the device 521 of fig. 14B).

The CPU627 may then assign a (new) set of content control or copy protection signals for the newly scaled TV signal. The assignment of a set of ACP or content control signals to "g" in device 521 of fig. 14B may be programmed, for example, according to an output scaled to and/or based on a reader (e.g., element 608 or 613 or 616 of fig. 22).

In another example, control bits stored in memory element 629 and received from a storage device or receiver (not shown) determine the type of content control or copy protection signal to be allocated for the new TV standard. For example, a DVD player or set-top box may receive a file stored in the memory 629 of a type of content control signal to be applied to a new TV standard (e.g., applying a set of ACPs or content control signals found in the 521 "g" function of fig. 14B). The file may be input to the CPU627, the CPU627 stores the file in the memory 630, and the CPU627 sends it to the waveform generator 626 to provide content control and/or copy protection signals for the new TV standard.

The CPU627 also selects/controls the output video TV format or standard. The signal VoutNS from the encoder 625 then becomes a new video standard TV signal with a set of content control and/or copy protection signal(s). The signal VoutNS is, for example, a composite, component, or S-video signal, or a digital video signal. Configuration element 628 (controlled by CPU 628) represents an alternative (indicated by dashed lines) for selecting the various waveforms of generator 626 via an on/off pattern and/or APS bits (analog protection signal (s)) or configuration (e.g., limited configuration of the various waveforms, e.g., fixed amplitude of plesiochronous, AGC, color stripe, etc.).

In some cases, the generator 626 is flexible for providing any modification of the signal VoutNS with respect to content control, data and/or copy protection signal(s), e.g., via the CPU 627. The waveform generation includes modifying any portion of the video signal down to the pixel level.

The apparatus or methods described herein may be implemented conventionally in connection with analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or software implementations. A device or apparatus may be enabled or disabled, or configured via one or more bits or signals. Further, a circuit (e.g., such as in an integrated circuit) may be disconnected or disabled via program software or using an available link. In addition, a memory or storage device may be included. Further, an RF (radio frequency) device may be included to operate as, for example, a tuner, a modulator, or an output stage. The design and manufacture of the device will be programmed according to the invention.

The present disclosure is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. A method of converting a video signal, comprising the acts of:

receiving a video signal conforming to a first television standard and including content control information;

converting the received video signal to conform to a second television standard;

the converted video signal comprises content control information corresponding to the content control information in the received video signal; and

outputting the converted video signal having the corresponding content control information;

wherein the content control information in the output video signal is a weakened color burst modification that has little or no copy protection effect for the video tape recorder but that can be detected by the detector circuit, and the weakened color burst modification step occurs only in a horizontal blanking interval of the output video signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second television standard is one of an NTSC, PAL, SECAM, VGA or HDTV standard.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second television standard is an HDTV standard and the first television standard is an HDTV standard, and the first television standard and the second television standard differ with respect to progressive or interlaced scanning, or a number of lines of resolution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control information in the output video signal carries the same content control effect as the content control information in the received video signal.

5. An apparatus for converting a video signal, comprising:

an input terminal adapted to receive a video signal in accordance with a first television standard;

a video converter coupled to the input terminal and converting the received video signal to a second television standard;

a detector coupled to the input terminal and detecting content control information in the received video signal;

content control logic coupled to the detector and generating content control information of the second television standard and corresponding to the detected content control information;

a combiner coupled to the detector and the converter and combining the generated content control information with the converted video signal; and

an output terminal coupled to the combiner for outputting the converted video signal;

wherein the content control information in the output video signal is a weakened color burst modification that has little or no copy protection effect for the video tape recorder but that can be detected by the detector circuit, and the weakened color burst modification step occurs only in the horizontal blanking interval of the output video signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second television standard is one of an NTSC, PAL, SECAM, VGA, or HDTV standard.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second television standard is an HDTV standard and the first television standard is an HDTV standard, and the first and second television standards differ with respect to progressive or interlaced scanning, or a number of lines of resolution.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is one of a sealer, a color transcoder, an encoder, or a converter.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein content control information in a video signal output from the apparatus carries the same content control effect as content control information in the received video signal.

10. A method of processing a video signal, comprising the acts of:

receiving a video signal conforming to a first television standard and including content control information;

detecting the content control information;

generating content control information corresponding to the content control information in the received video signal and of a second television standard; and

outputting the generated content control information;

wherein the output content control information is a weakened color burst modification having little or no copy protection effect for the video tape recorder but detectable by the detector circuit, and the weakened color burst modification occurs in one step only in a horizontal blanking interval of the output video signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second television standard is one of an NTSC, PAL, SECAM, VGA or HDTV standard.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second television standard is an HDTV standard and the first television standard is an HDTV standard, and the first television standard and the second television standard differ with respect to progressive or interlaced scanning, or a number of lines of resolution.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the output content control information carries the same content control effect as content control information in the received video signal.

14. An apparatus for processing a video signal, comprising:

an input terminal adapted to receive a video signal in accordance with a first television standard;

a detector coupled to the input terminal and detecting content control information in the received video signal;

content control logic coupled to the detector and generating content control information of the second television standard and corresponding to the detected content control information; and

an output terminal coupled to the logic to output the generated content control information; wherein the output content control information is a weakened color burst modification having little or no copy protection effect for the video tape recorder but detectable by the detector circuit, and the weakened color burst modification occurs in one step only in a horizontal blanking interval of the output video signal.