Method and apparatus for editing the output of a television set

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, characterised: in that the said coding inserted into the television signal is used to identify a range of events of varying degrees of possible undersirability, the coding including a grading indicating the degree of possible undesirability of each said event, and in that step (c) involves comparing the event grading included in the coding identified in step (b) with a predetermined code indicative of an undesired grade or grades of event, the result of this comparison being used to identify the events to be edited out in step (d).

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that said coding is inserted into said television signal as a teletext type signal.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3, characterised in that said coding takes the form of one or more row addresses of a predetermined teletext page.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, characterised in that said coding is inserted into the television signal by passing the signal through a fixed time delay while an operator views and listens to the programme represented by the signal and inserts a suitable said coding upon the occurrence of a said possibly-undesirable event, the time delay serving to compensate for the non-instantaneous reaction of said operator to such an event.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 1, characterised in that coding identifying each possibly-undesirable event is only intermittently inserted in said signal during the event, and in that inhibition of the sound or vision portion of said signal, following each determination of the occurrence of an event to be edited out, is effected for a predetermined time period which is of greater duration than the interlude between successive insertions of coding identifying the event.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 1, wherein during the inhibition of a said portion of the said television signal, a video character signal is added to the said television signal to provide a visual display, at said set, indicative of the reason for said inhibition.

Claim 9

A controller for editing out undesired sound and visual events from a television signal where this signal includes coding individually identifying, as they occur, certain possibly-undesirable events forming part of a programme represented by the signal, the coding including an indication of the sound or visual nature of each said event; said controller comprising: monitor means (40) for monitoring the television signal to identify said coding and output a corresponding coding signal, signal processing means (40,42,43,44) connected to receive said coding signal and arranged to determine therefrom the time of occurrence and nature of said certain possibly-undesirable events, these latter events being events which are to be edited out, and produce inhibit signals in response thereto and inhibit means (14,17) arranged to operate on said television signal in response to said inhibit signals such as to inhibit the intelligible output from said controller of the sound portion of said television signal when the signal processing means (40,42,43,44) indicates the presence of a sound event to be edited out, and to inhibit the intelligible output from the controller of the vision portion of said television signal when the signal processing means (40,42,43,44) indicates the presence of a visual event to be edited out.

Claim 10

A controller for editing out undesired sound and visual events from a television signal where this signal includes coding individually identifying, as they occur, certain possibly-undesirable events forming part of a programme represented by the signal, the coding including an indication of the sound or visual nature of each said event; said controller comprising: monitor means (40) for monitoring the television signal to identify said coding and output a corresponding coding signal, signal processing means (40,42,43,44) connected to receive said coding signal and arranged to determine therefrom the time of occurrence and nature of said certain possibly-undesirable events, these latter events being events which are to be edited out, and produce inhibit signals in response thereto and inhibit means (14,17) arranged to operate on said television signal in response to said inhibit signals such as to inhibit the intelligible output from said controller of the sound portion of said television signal when the signal processing means (40,42,43,44) indicates the presence of a sound event to be edited out, and to inhibit the intelligible output from the controller of the vision portion of said television signal when the signal processing means (40,42,43,44) indicates the presence of a visual event to be edited out.

Claim 11

A controller according to claim 8, intended for use where said coding is used to identify a range of events, including said certain events, of varying degrees of possible undesirability, the coding including a grading of each said event, characterised in that said signal processing means comprises: selection means (44) enabling an operator to set in the grade or grades of event to be edited out, the selection means (44) being arranged to store a grade signal representative of the set in grade or grades, and comparator means (42,43) for comparing the said coding signal with the said grade signal whereby to determine which events are to be edited out by said inhibit means (14, 17).