US5883959A — Video copy protection

Claim 1

Independent Claim 103 words

Apparatus for prohibiting copying of an analog video signal of the type having plural lines of video signals and regular burst signals included in said lines, comprising: modified burst signal generating means for generating modified burst signals whose phase is controlled in plural continuous lines such that an average value of phase vectors derived from said controlled phase, over said plural continuous lines, is substantially equal to the average value of the phase vectors of said regular burst signals over said plural continuous lines; and replacement means for replacing said regular burst signals in said plural continuous lines with said modified burst signals.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 103 words

Apparatus for prohibiting copying of an analog video signal of the type having plural lines of video signals and regular burst signals included in said lines, comprising: modified burst signal generating means for generating modified burst signals whose phase is controlled in plural continuous lines such that an average value of phase vectors derived from said controlled phase, over said plural continuous lines, is substantially equal to the average value of the phase vectors of said regular burst signals over said plural continuous lines; and replacement means for replacing said regular burst signals in said plural continuous lines with said modified burst signals.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 44 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said modified burst signal generating means includes phase control means for controlling the phase of at least one orthogonal component into which the phase of said regular color burst signal is resolved, thereby generating said modified first signal.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 81 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the phase of said one orthogonal component is controlled to produce in selected lines a modified burst signal whose phase differs from the phase of said regular burst signals by an amount that is greater than the phase difference of said modified burst signals in other lines; and wherein said replacement means is operative to replace said regular burst signals with the modified burst signal of greater phase difference systematically over said plural continuous lines.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said phase difference of said modified burst signals in said other lines from the phase of said regular burst signals is minimized.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 41 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the phase vector of said regular burst signal is resolvable into U and V orthogonal components and said phase control means is operable to produce a phase inversion of said V component in selected lines.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said continuous lines are lines (n+0), n+1), (n+2) and (n+3), where n is an integer, and the phase inversion of said V component is produced in line (n+2).

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said replacement means is operable to replace said regular burst signals with said modified burst signals in blocks of continuous lines, with successive blocks being separated by several lines containing said regular burst signals.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 57 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said blocks of continuous lines constitute a first region and said several lines constitute a second region; and wherein said first region is located in one filed of a frame at different positions in said one field than the locations of said first region in the other field of said frame.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 58 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said blocks of continuous lines constitute a first region and said several lines constitute a second region; and wherein said first region is located in one field of a frame at the same position in said one field as the locations of said first region in the other field of said frame.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 30 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said replacement means in operative to replace all cycles of said regular burst signal in said plural continuous lines with said modified burst signals.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 47 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said replacement means is operative to replace only some of the cycles of said regular burst signal in said plural continuous lines with said modified burst signal to produce burst intervals containing both said regular and said modified burst signal cycles.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 44 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said modified burst signal generating means is operative to produce modified burst signals having a line-to-line phase sequence in said continuous lines that differ from the line-to-line phase sequence of said regular burst signal in said continuous lines.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the phase of said modified burst signal in said line-to-line phase sequence differs from the phase of said regular burst signal in said line-to-line phase sequence by 90°.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 131 words

A recording medium on which digital video signals are stored for playback by digital video processing means from which an analog video signal is derived, said digital video signals including copy prohibit data from which said analog video signal is modified so as to be viewable on a TV monitor but not copyable on an analog video recorder, said copy prohibit data causing replacement in plural continuous lines of said analog video signal of regular burst signals in said continuous lines with modified burst signals whose phase is changed from the phase of said regular burst signals such that an average value of phase vectors of said modified burst signals is substantially equal to an average value of the phase vectors of said regular burst signals over said plural continuous lines.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 131 words

A recording medium on which digital video signals are stored for playback by digital video processing means from which an analog video signal is derived, said digital video signals including copy prohibit data from which said analog video signal is modified so as to be viewable on a TV monitor but not copyable on an analog video recorder, said copy prohibit data causing replacement in plural continuous lines of said analog video signal of regular burst signals in said continuous lines with modified burst signals whose phase is changed from the phase of said regular burst signals such that an average value of phase vectors of said modified burst signals is substantially equal to an average value of the phase vectors of said regular burst signals over said plural continuous lines.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 60 words

The recording medium of claim 14 wherein said continuous lines are lines (n+0), (n+1), (n+2) and (n+3), where n is an integer; wherein, the phase vectors of said regular and modified burst signals are resolvable into orthogonal U and V components; and wherein the phase of the modified burst signal is changed by phase-inverting the V component in line (n+2).

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 42 words

The recording medium of claim 14 wherein said copy prohibit data causes said regular burst signals to be replaced by said modified burst signals in blocks of continuous lines, with successive blocks being separated by several lines containing said regular burst signals.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 58 words

The recording medium of claim 16, wherein said blocks of continuous lines constitute a first region and said several lines constitute a second region; and wherein said first region is located in one field of a frame at different positions in said one field than the locations of said first region in the other field of said frame.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 59 words

The recording medium of claim 6, wherein said blocks of continuous lines constitute a first region and said several lines constitute a second region; and wherein said first region is located in one field of a frame at the same position in said one field as the locations of said first region in the other field of said frame.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 32 words

The recording medium of claim 14 wherein said copy prohibit data causes all cycles of said regular burst signals in said plural continuous lines to be replaced by said modified burst signals.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 49 words

The recording medium of claim 14, wherein said copy prohibit data causes only some of the cycles of said regular burst signals in said plural continuous lines to be replaced with said modified burst signals to produce burst intervals containing both said regular and said modified burst signal cycles.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 42 words

The recording medium of claim 14 wherein said copy prohibit data causes said modified burst signals to have a line-to-line phase sequence in said continuous lines that differs from the line-to-line phase sequence of said regular burst signals in said continuous lines.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 35 words

The recording medium of claim 21 wherein the phase of said modified burst signal in said line-to-line phase sequence differs from the phase of said regular burst signal in said line-to-line phase sequence by 90°.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 98 words

A method of prohibiting copying of an analog video signal of the type having plural lines of video signals and regular burst signals included in said lines, comprising the steps of: generating modified burst signals whose phase is controlled in plural continuous lines such that an average value of phase vectors derived from said controlled phase, over said plural continuous lines, is substantially equal to the average value of the phase vectors of said regular burst signals over said plural continuous lines; and replacing said regular burst signals in said plural continuous lines with said modified burst signals.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 98 words

A method of prohibiting copying of an analog video signal of the type having plural lines of video signals and regular burst signals included in said lines, comprising the steps of: generating modified burst signals whose phase is controlled in plural continuous lines such that an average value of phase vectors derived from said controlled phase, over said plural continuous lines, is substantially equal to the average value of the phase vectors of said regular burst signals over said plural continuous lines; and replacing said regular burst signals in said plural continuous lines with said modified burst signals.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 23 wherein said modified burst signal is generated by controlling the phase of at least one orthogonal component into which the phase of said regular color burst signal is resolved.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 76 words

The method of claim 24 wherein the phase of said one orthogonal component is controlled to produce in selected lines a modified burst signal whose phase differs from the phase of said regular burst signals by an amount that is greater than the phase difference of said modified burst signals in other lines; and wherein said regular burst signals are replaced with the modified burst signal of greater phase difference systematically over said plural continuous lines.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 25 wherein said phase difference of said modified burst signals in said other lines from the phase of said regular burst signals is minimized.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 24 wherein the phase vector of said regular burst signal is resolvable into U and V orthogonal components and said phase of at least one orthogonal component is controlled by producing a phase inversion of said V component in selected lines.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 27 wherein said continuous lines are lines (n+0), (n+1), (n+2) and (n+3), where n is an integer, and the phase inversion of said V component is produced in line (n+2).

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 23 wherein said regular burst signals are replaced with said modified burst signals in blocks of continuous lines, with successive blocks being separated by several lines containing said regular burst signals.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 57 words

The method of claim 29 wherein said blocks of continuous lines constitute a first region and said several lines constitute a second region; and wherein said first region is located in one field of a frame at different positions in said one field than the locations of said first region in the other field of said frame.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 58 words

The method of claim 29 wherein said blocks of continuous lines constitute a first region and said several lines constitute a second region; and wherein said first region is located in one field of a frame at the same position in said one field as the locations of said first region in the other field of said frame.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 23 wherein all cycles of said regular burst signal in said plural continuous lines are replaced with said modified burst signals.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 23 wherein only some of the cycles of said regular burst signal in said plural continuous lines are replaced with said modified burst signal to produce burst intervals containing both said regular and said modified burst signal cycles.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 23 wherein said modified burst signals have a line-to-line phase sequence in said continuous lines that differ from the line-to-line phase sequence of said regular burst signal in said continuous lines.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 34 wherein the phase of said modified burst signal in said line-to-line phase sequence differs from the phase of said regular burst signal in said line-to-line phase sequence by 90°.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-03-15	2002-09-14	2003-03-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-03-15	2006-09-14	2007-03-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-03-15	2010-09-14	2011-03-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Video copy protection

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