IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,085,380
Granted Patent B2
US 7,085,380 · App. 09/965,345 · Granted Aug 1, 2006

Method for modifying a copy protected video signal with a negative amplitude pulse

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,085,380
App. No.
09/965,345
Granted
Aug 1, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

An enhancement is provided for a copy protection method that discourages copying (e.g., by video taping) of video signals. The enhancement adds negative amplitude pulses to the video signal at a location in the horizontal blanking interval “back porch” after the color burst. This enhances jitter when the copy protected signal is recorded on a VCR (video cassette recorder) and the recording is replayed, thereby making the recorded signal not suitable for viewing.

Claims (16)

1. A method of modifying a copy protected video signal, wherein the copy protected video signal includes selected copy protection signals which cause a reduced amplitude in a recording of the copy protected video signal, the method comprising the act of:

adding a pulse having a selected negative amplitude to a selected position in a back porch region following a horizontal sync pulse wherein the copy protection of the video signal is enhanced by the added negative pulse.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the negative pulse is added to selected active horizontal video lines of the video signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the negative pulse is in the range of −10 to −20 IRE units, the negative pulse has a width in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds, and is positioned in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds after a color burst signal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the negative pulse is in the range of −10 to −20 IRE units.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the negative pulse has a width in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the negative pulse is positioned in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds after a color burst signal in the back porch region.

7. A method of modifying a copy protected video signal, wherein the copy protected video signal includes selected copy protection signals which cause a reduced amplitude in a recording of the copy protected video signal, the method comprising the act of:

adding a negative pulse of selected amplitude at a selected position in a back porch region following a horizontal signal pulse of the video signal wherein the negative pulse is part of the copy protection of the video signal which is enhanced by the added negative pulse.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the negative pulse is added to selected horizontal video lines of the video signal.

9. The method claim 7 , wherein the amplitude of the negative pulse is in the range of −10 to −20 IRE units, the negative pulse has a width in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds, and is positioned in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds after a color burst signal.

10. The method claim 7 , wherein the amplitude of the negative pulse is in the range of −10 to −20 IRE units.

11. The method claim 7 , wherein the negative pulse has a width in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds.

12. The method claim 7 , wherein the negative pulse is positioned in the range of 1 to 2 microseconds after a color burst signal in the back porch region.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the negative pulse is amplitude modulated.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the amplitude modulation includes turning off the negative pulse.

Assignments (4)
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Jul 24, 2014
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ALL MEDIA GUIDE, LLC; APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033396/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2011
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC, A BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY; ROVI CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027039/0168 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2010
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. (A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
To: ALL MEDIA GUIDE, LLC; APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ODS PROPERTIES, INC.; ROVI DATA SOLUTIONS, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS TV GUIDE DATA SOLUTIONS, INC.); ROVI GUIDES, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS GEMSTAR-TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.); ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MACROVISION CORPORATION); ROVI SOLUTIONS LIMITED (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MACROVISION EUROPE LIMITED); ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE, INC.; TV GUIDE ONLINE, LLC; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 025222/0731 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 15, 2008
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; GEMSTAR-TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.; INDEX SYSTEMS INC; MACROVISION CORPORATION; ODS PROPERTIES, INC.; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE ONLINE, LLC; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 020986/0074 →