On August 14, 2012 (almost years after we filed it), the United States Patent Office granted me U.S. Patent #8,245,252: “System, method, and computer program product for selective replacement of objectionable program content with less-objectionable content.”
I developed this system for a company called CaptionTV. Current V-Chip technology either allows a show to be watched, or blocks it completely. My previous patent allows for video, audio, or captions to be selectively blanked. The system in this patent can use captions and metadata to replace the content, making the blocking less jarring. It also allows for the implementation to be funded by substitution of advertising.
The first inventor name listed on the patent is someone who had nothing whatsoever to do with the technology (I’ve never met or spoken to her), but her husband paid the patent lawyers, so I guess I can’t complain too much
My patents: #7,360,234 | #8,245,252 | #8,312,485
Gary D. Robson 