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:
Oct. 21, 2003

Filed:

Aug. 13, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:

Ivan Yang, Markham, CA;

Stephen Orr, Markham, CA;

Andrew Morrison, Toronto, CA;

Anatoly Fridman, Newmarket, CA;

Assignee:

ATI International SRL, Barbados, KN;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 7/16 ; H04N 7/167 ; H04N 5/00 ; G07F 1/130 ; G07F 1/700 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 7/16 ; H04N 7/167 ; H04N 5/00 ; G07F 1/130 ; G07F 1/700 ;
Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling display of content signals begins by receiving a content signal that includes video content and at least one associated content control indicator. The content signal may also include audio content associated with the video content. The processing continues by comparing the at least one associated content control indicator (e.g., a rating of mature subject matter of the content signal) with at least one content control setting (e.g., a parental setting based on allowable viewing of rated content signals). When the associated content indicator compares unfavorably to the content control setting, a video graphics processor scrambles the at least a portion of the video content. The scrambled video content is then provided to a video rendering device for subsequent display.


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