Position and time sensitive closed captioning

Abstract

Closed captioning information is provided regarding the location of a speaker, and when the text is spoken. An audio/video signal includes a video data and the closed captioning information. The closed captioning information includes a time index, a closed captioning text, and positioning information. The positioning information indicates a position within a frame of the video data, and is associated with the closed captioning text for a given time index. The position corresponds to the speaker who is speaking the associated closed captioning text. A decoder device decodes the closed captioning information to determine the position of the speaker within the video data, and the time index to correlate the closed captioning text and positioning information to a specific frame of video data. The video data is preferably scaled to provide a less than full screen video. The scaled video is appropriately positioned on a display screen and talk bubbles, which provide a visual link between the closed captioning text and the speaker, are preferably displayed off the scaled video. Alternatively, the video is not scaled and the talk bubbles are superimposed on the full screen video in a blended fashion.

1 . A method of closed captioning, the method comprising:
 a. receiving an audio/video signal including a video data and a closed captioning data, wherein the closed captioning data comprises position information based on a speaker position of a speaker within the video data;   b. determining a position of a closed captioning text according to the position information; and   c. displaying the video data on a display screen and displaying the closed captioning text on the display screen according to the determined position such that a plurality of words from the closed captioning text are visible on the display screen concurrently.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the closed captioning text overlays the displayed video data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the closed captioning text is overlaid using alpha blended graphics. 
     
     
         4 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the closed captioning data further includes a timing index to associate the closed captioning text with a specific portion of the video data. 
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the closed captioning data includes speaker position information that associates the closed captioning text to the speaker position of the associated speaker within the video data. 
     
     
         13 . A method of closed captioning, the method comprising:
 a. receiving an audio/video signal including a video data and a closed captioning data, wherein the closed captioning data comprises position information based on a speaker position of a speaker within the video data;   b. displaying video corresponding to the video data; and   c. displaying closed captioning text included within the closed captioning data by positioning the closed captioning text according to the position information such that a plurality of words from the closed captioning text are visible concurrently.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the position of the closed captioning text is outside of the displayed video. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the position of the closed captioning text partially overlays the displayed video. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the portion of the closed captioning text that overlays the displayed video is overlaid using alpha blended graphics. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising positioning the displayed video on the display screen. 
     
     
         18 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the closed captioning data further includes a timing index to associate the closed captioning text with a specific portion of the video data. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the closed captioning data includes speaker position information that associates the closed captioning text to the position of the associated speaker within the video data. 
     
     
         22 . A device to provide closed captioning, the device comprising:
 a. an input/output (I/O) interface circuit to receive an audio/video signal, the audio/video signal including a video data and a closed captioning data, wherein the closed captioning data comprises position information based on a speaker position of a speaker within the video data;   b. a display including a viewable area for displaying video corresponding to the video data; and   c. a processing circuit coupled to the display and to the I/O interface circuit to receive the audio/video signal from the I/O interface circuit, and position a closed captioning text according to the position information such that a plurality of words from the closed captioning text are visible on the display concurrently.   
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22  wherein the device comprises an interactive television. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 22  wherein the closed captioning data includes speaker position information that associates the closed captioning text to the position of the associated speaker within the video data. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 22  wherein the position of the closed captioning text is outside of the displayed video. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 22  wherein the position of the closed captioning text partially overlays the displayed video. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27  wherein the portion of the closed captioning text that overlays the displayed video is overlaid using alpha blended graphics. 
     
     
         29 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 22  wherein the closed captioning data further includes a timing index to associate the closed captioning text with a specific portion of the video data. 
     
     
         32 - 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A method of generating closed captioning including adding a closed captioning data to an audio/video signal, wherein the audio/video signal comprises a video data and the closed captioning data, and the closed captioning data includes a closed captioning text and position information that associates the closed captioning text to a position within the video data based on a speaker position of a speaker within the video data such that when displayed a plurality of words from the closed captioning text are visible concurrently. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65  wherein the speaker is associated with the closed captioning text. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 65  wherein the closed captioning data further includes a timing index to associate the closed captioning text with a specific portion of the video data. 
     
     
         68 . A closed captioning stream of data stored on a memory device comprising a video data and a closed captioning data, wherein the closed captioning data includes a closed captioning text and positioning information that associates the closed captioning text to a position within the video data based on a speaker position of a speaker within the video data such that when displayed a plurality of words from the closed captioning text are visible concurrently. 
     
     
         69 . The closed captioning stream of data of  claim 68  wherein the speaker is associated with the closed captioning text. 
     
     
         70 . The closed captioning stream of data of  claim 68  wherein the closed captioning data further includes a timing index to associate the closed captioning text with a specific portion of the video data.