The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 2018

Filed:

Dec. 08, 2016
Applicant:

Rovi Solutions Corporation, San Carlos, CA (US);

Inventors:

Ronald Quan, Cupertino, CA (US);

John O. Ryan, Woodside, CA (US);

Peter Wonfor, Inverloch, AU;

Assignee:

Rovi Solutions Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 21/81 (2011.01); H04N 5/76 (2006.01); H04N 21/233 (2011.01); H04N 21/234 (2011.01); H04N 21/433 (2011.01); H04H 60/37 (2008.01); H04H 60/58 (2008.01); H04H 60/59 (2008.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 21/812 (2013.01); H04H 60/375 (2013.01); H04H 60/58 (2013.01); H04H 60/59 (2013.01); H04N 5/76 (2013.01); H04N 21/233 (2013.01); H04N 21/234 (2013.01); H04N 21/4334 (2013.01);
Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed which reduces or removes the effectiveness of commercial skip systems such as presently found in VCRs, PVRs, etc. which are designed to delete commercials from signal material upon playback of a previously recorded version of the signal material. In an embodiment, the effectiveness of the commercial skip system is reduced or removed by adding a flat field of selected signal level to active line portions of video lines of the signal material. Other embodiments modify the normal fade to black signal indicative of a commercial to provide a fade to non-black signal. In further embodiments, a fade to non-black signal is inserted in an overseas area of the signal picture. Still further embodiments modify audio signals or selected signals in the horizontal blanking interval which may be used in commercial skip systems to detect the presence of commercials.


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