FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of modifying playback of a multimedia presentation, such as video, from a storage medium, and more particularly to a medial player, such as a DVD player, configured to upload playback filters to a local memory or otherwise use playback filters from either a removable storage medium in communication with a video memory inference, such as a DVD drive, or a removable memory interface, such as a flash memory interface, USB memory interface, memory stick interface, or the like, and apply the filters to, modify, e.g., skip or mute certain portions of video during playback.

BACKGROUND

A multimedia presentation, such as audio provided on CD and a movie provided on DVD, may contain certain language, images, scenes, or other content, not suitable or considered objectionable by certain audiences. To address this concern, certain technologies have been developed to allow filtering, such as skipping or muting, various types of content. This technology allows, for example, the viewing of a movie originally containing more adult-oriented content by younger, less mature viewers. Generally, the filtering function is provided by a media content “filter” resident within the DVD player that specifically applies to a particular multimedia presentation. The filter, which is typically stored within a nonvolatile logic memory of the media player, such as flash memory, indicates which portions of the multimedia presentation are to be skipped, or which audio portions are to be muted, by the DVD player during playback. Typically, whether the filter is employed for a particular presentation of the multimedia may be determined by the user by way of a menu selection system provided by the media player. Further, different forms of objectionable content, such as profane language, sexually explicit content, and so on, may also be selectively filtered by way of the menu system. In some systems, the filtering system may be protected by way of a user-defined password so that those not privy to the password are unable to defeat the filtering mechanism.

Each filter specific to a particular presentation is typically produced at some point after a multimedia presentation has been released. Thus, for example, while some filters for preexisting movies may be pre-installed in the DVD player, the player normally also includes a method of accepting and storing new filters as they are produced. Typically, filters are installed by way of a CD, DVD, or other disc readable by the same memory reader of the DVD player that also reads the DVD or other storage medium having the multimedia presentation. Therefore, a user inserts the disc containing the filters of interest into the tray or slot normally employed for playback. The DVD player, recognizing the disc as one containing filters, installs the filters from the disc, possibly at the guidance of the user by way of the player menu system.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention involves a method for loading filter information to a media player. The method involves analyzing a status of a first memory reader adapted to communicate with a removable storage medium including data associated with a multimedia presentation. The method further involves establishing communication with a second storage medium and determining whether the second storage medium includes filtering information associated with a multimedia presentation. Then, filtered play of the presentation may occur.

Another aspect of the invention involves a media player including a processing configuration in communication with a first memory reader. The first memory reader configured to receive and read information from a first storage medium including data associated with a multimedia presentation, such as a DVD with encoded audio and video data (e.g., a movie). The media player further comprises a second memory reader, which also may be in communication with the processing configuration, the second memory reader configured to read filter information from a second storage medium.

