Method and apparatus for synthesizing or modifying a copy protection signal using a lowered signal level portion

Abstract

A modified Colorstripe™ copy protection process utilizes a basic anti-copy protection (ACP) signal that causes attenuation of a video signal, wherein, in one embodiment, the process modifies (lowers) the level of a front porch portion and adds an incorrect color signal (color burst) in the region of the sync tip. When an illegal copy is made, a pre-blanked end of line portion causes a TV set to trigger the color burst sample pulse ahead of time and cause the incorrect color signal in the sync tip region to be sampled. Thus, since the sync tip region has incorrect color phase or frequency, the resulting illegal copy will have enhanced color distortions. In other embodiments, other portions of the horizontal blanking interval are lowered in level and incorrect color bursts are added to a portion or portions of the back porch and/or a portion of the front porch. The various embodiments of the process may include an adaptable process, as well as several alternative ACP signals for use in combination with the process.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
   
   
       39 . Apparatus for modifying a video signal to provide a copy protection effect, the video signal including video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync and or front porch and back porch areas, comprising:
 a circuit for adding a basic copy protection signal to the video signal to cause an attenuation or darkening effect;   circuitry for lowering the level of a selected portion or portions of the horizontal blanking interval and or the end of a video line to a level lower than a given level of the selected portion or portions;   a generating circuit for inserting a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency in a second portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein the second portion is spatially arranged in respect of the selected portion such that the attenuation or darkening effect causes the sensing of the lowered portion or portions to cause sampling or sensing the incorrect color burst signal to provide the copy protection effect; and   wherein the incorrect color burst signal is added to the back porch area, and or the selected portion which is lowered in level is a pseudo sync signal inserted in a portion of the back porch area prior to the incorrect color burst signal.   
   
   
       40 . Apparatus for modifying a video signal to provide a copy protection effect, the video signal including video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync and or front porch and back porch areas, comprising:
 a circuit for adding a basic copy protection signal to the video signal to cause an attenuation or darkening effect;   circuitry for lowering the level of a selected portion or portions of the horizontal blanking interval and or the end of a video line to a level lower than a given level of the selected portion or portions;   a generating circuit for inserting a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency in a second portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein the second portion is spatially arranged in respect of the selected portion such that the attenuation or darkening effect causes the sensing of the lowered portion or portions to cause sampling or sensing the incorrect color burst signal to provide the copy protection effect; and   wherein the incorrect color burst signal is added to the horizontal sync signal, and the selected portion which is lowered in level is a pseudo sync signal on a back porch area following the incorrect color burst signal and adjacent the beginning of the respective active video line.   
   
   
       41 . Apparatus for providing a modified analog video signal from an Internet transmission of a video signal, comprising:
 a circuit for receiving the video signal from the Internet; and   circuitry for providing the analog video signal with one or more reduced duration or narrowed horizontal sync pulse, and one or more pseudo sync pulse and or automatic gain control (AGC) pulse, in selected TV lines.   
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 41  including a circuit for providing at least one narrowed or widened horizontal blanking interval. 
   
   
       43 . Apparatus for synthesizing at least a part of a copy protection signal in a video signal, wherein the video signal includes video lines having horizontal blanking intervals with given levels of front porch and back porch, and a color burst area, comprising:
 circuitry for lowering the level of a selected portion or portions of a horizontal blanking interval and or of an end of a video line of the video signal to a level which is lower than its given level;   generator/combining circuits for supplying a color burst of incorrect phase or frequency in a further portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein an attenuation and or darkening effect caused by a basic copy protection signal causes a recorder or television set to sense the lowered portion or portions to cause the recorder or television set to sample or sense the incorrect color burst, thereby generating color distortion in the recorder or television set; and   wherein pseudo horizontal sync is added adjacent the beginning of an active video line to define a pseudo sync/automatic gain control (AGC) pulse pair.   
   
   
       44 . A method of synthesizing at least part of a copy protection signal in a video signal wherein the video signal is a transmitted video signal and includes video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync, front porch and back porch areas of respective normal levels, and a normal color burst are comprising:
 lowering via a circuit the level of a selected portion or portions of the end of a video line and or of the horizontal blanking interval to a value lower than said respective normal level of the selected portion or portions;   inserting via a circuit a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency in a second portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein the second portion is spatially arranged in respect of the selected portion or portions such that an attenuation and or darkening effect caused by a basic copy protection signal causes a recorder or television set to sense the lowered portion or portions to cause the recorder or television set to sample or sense the incorrect color burst signal thereby generating color distortion in the recorder or television set;   wherein the incorrect color burst signal is added to at least a portion of the horizontal sync signal and/or to at least a portion of the back porch area so as to enable the sampling or sensing of the incorrect color burst signal;   wherein the selected portion which is lowered in level comprises the end of a video line and or at least a part of the front porch area; and   wherein the transmitted video signal is an Internet signal and wherein lowering the level of the selected portion or portions and inserting the color burst of incorrect phase or frequency provides the copy protection for the Internet signals.   
   
   
       45 . A method of modifying a video signal to provide a copy protection effect wherein the video signal is a transmitted video signal including video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync and or front porch and back porch areas, comprising:
 adding via a copy protection circuit a basic copy protection signal to the video signal to cause an attenuation or darkening effect;   lowering via a circuit the level of a selected portion or portions of the horizontal blanking interval and or the end of a video line to a value lower than the respective normal level;   inserting via a circuit a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency in a second portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein the second portion is spatially arranged in respect of the selected portion such that the attenuation or darkening effect causes the sensing of the lowered portion or portions to cause sampling or sensing the incorrect color burst signal to provide the copy protection effect;   wherein the incorrect color burst signal is added to the end of a video line, to a front porch area, to a horizontal sync signal and/or to a back porch area so as to cause the sampling of the incorrect color burst signal by a recorder or television set; and   wherein the transmitted video signal is an Internet signal and wherein modifying the video signal provides the copy protection signals transmitted over the Internet.   
   
   
       46 . A method of modifying a video signal to provide a copy protection or color distortion effect, wherein the video signal is a transmitted video signal including video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync and or front porch and back porch areas, comprising:
 lowering via a circuit the level of a selected portion of the end of a video line and or the front porch area prior to the horizontal sync to a value lower than the respective normal level to cause an erroneous early scan in a respective video line;   adding via a circuit a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency to the horizontal sync and/or vicinity;   wherein a recorder or television set samples or senses the incorrect color burst signal in response to the erroneous scan, to provide the copy protection or color distortion effect; and   further including;   adding via a copy protection circuit a basic copy protection signal to the video signal to cause an attenuation or darkening effect;   wherein the attenuation or darkening effect causes the recorder or television set to sense the lowered portion or portions thereby causing the sampling or sensing of the incorrect color burst; and   wherein the transmitted video signal is an Internet signal and wherein modifying the video signal provides the copy protection for the Internet signal.   
   
   
       47 . Apparatus for synthesizing at least part of a copy protection signal in a video signal wherein the video signal is a transmitted video signal and includes video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync, front porch and back porch areas of respective normal levels, and a normal color burst area, comprising:
 circuitry for lowering the level of a selected portion or portions of the end of a video line and or of the horizontal blanking interval to a value lower than said respective normal level of the selected portion or portions;   a circuit for inserting a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency in a second portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein the second portion is spatially arranged in respect of the selected portion or portions such that an attenuation and or darkening effect caused by a basic copy protection signal causes a recorder or television set to sense the lowered portion or portions to cause the recorder or television set to sample or sense the incorrect color burst signal, thereby generating color distortion in the recorder or television set;   wherein the incorrect color burst signal is added to at least a portion of the horizontal sync signal and/or to at least a portion of the back porch area so as to enable the sampling or sensing of the incorrect color burst signal;   wherein the selected portion which is lowered in level comprises the end of a video line and or at least a part of the front porch area; and   wherein the transmitted video signal is an Internet signal and wherein lowering the level of the selected portion or portions and inserting the color burst of incorrect phase or frequency provides copy protection for the Internet signals.   
   
   
       48 . Apparatus for modifying a video signal to provide a copy protection effect wherein the video signal is a transmitted video signal including video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync and or front porch and back porch areas of respective normal levels, comprising:
 a copy protection circuit for adding a basic copy protection signal to the video signal to cause an attenuation or darkening effect;   circuitry for lowering the level of a selected portion or portions of the horizontal blanking interval and or the end of a video line to a value lower than the respective normal level;   a circuit for inserting a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency in a second portion of the horizontal blanking interval;   wherein the second portion is spatially arranged in respect of the selected portion such that the attenuation or darkening effect causes the sensing of the lowered portion or portions to cause sampling or sensing the incorrect color burst signal to provide the copy protection effect;   wherein the incorrect color burst signal is added to the end of a video line, to a front porch area, to a horizontal sync signal and/or to a back porch area so as to cause the sampling of the incorrect color burst signal by a recorder or television set; and   wherein the transmitted video signal is an Internet signal and wherein modifying the video signal provides the copy protection signals transmitted over the Internet.   
   
   
       49 . Apparatus for modifying a video signal to provide a copy protection or color distortion effect, wherein the video signal is a transmitted video signal including video lines having horizontal blanking intervals including horizontal sync and or front porch and back porch areas of respective normal levels, comprising:
 circuitry for lowering the level of a selected portion of the end of a video line and or the front porch area prior to the horizontal sync to a value lower than the respective normal level to cause an erroneous early scan in a respective video line;   a circuit for adding a color burst signal of incorrect phase or frequency to the horizontal sync and/or vicinity;   wherein a recorder or television set samples or senses the incorrect color burst signal in response to the erroneous scan, to provide the copy protection or color distortion effect; and   further including;   a copy protection circuit for adding a basic copy protection signal to the video signal to cause an attenuation or darkening effect;   wherein the attenuation or darkening effect causes the recorder or television set to sense the lowered portion or portions thereby causing the sampling or sensing of the incorrect color burst; and   wherein the transmitted video signal is an Internet signal and wherein modifying the video signal provides copy protection for the Internet signal.