[h1]Microsoft Patents Censorship Software[/h1]
[h2]A program that actively detects and censors words.[/h2]
by
Chris Iaquinta
October 20, 2008 - Trying to censor live broadcasting of any kind has always been an issue, and in some cases, practically impossible. Live TV, for example, is forced to run on a delay of seven seconds or more to give producers the opportunity to catch f-bombs from witty rappers that want to liven up their award ceremony acceptance speeches. While in the gaming world, services like Xbox LIVE and Team Speak have practically no defense in the war on profanity terrorism. But a new patent awarded to Microsoft may finally give little Johnny's ears a rest next time he melee's a foul-mouthed Covenant in Halo 3.
Back in 2004, Microsoft applied for a patent that would allow for the real-time censoring of audio streams, a patent that has now been approved by the USPTO.
Labeled U.S. patent No. 7437290, the patent is listed as the "automatic censorship of audio data for broadcast." How does it work? Well, for those that have a four-year degree in electronic programming, here's the smart guy explanation:
"The automatic censoring filter employs a lattice comprising either phonemes and/or words derived from phonemes for comparison against corresponding phonemes or words included in undesired speech data. If the probability that a phoneme or word in the input audio data stream matches a corresponding phoneme or word in the undesired speech data is greater than a probability threshold, the input audio data stream is altered so that the undesired word or a phrase comprising a plurality of such words is unintelligible or inaudible."
And for everyone else, in layman's terms the technology allows the company to program a list of predefined bad words that will be automatically bleep/filtered out of an audio stream.
The censor filter can help large broadcast companies avoid the expensive fines imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for when profanity is leaked over the airwaves, and can also be used in smaller applications for family oriented settings.
The news of the patent should definitely make some large corporate media producers very happy, and the gaming community should rejoice at the concept that in the very near future resides a chance that one of the worst problems plaguing online gaming may finally come to an end. That is, unless you enjoy being verbally assaulted by a pre-teen opponent every time they put a sticky grenade on your face.
Originally Posted by bonafide125
tell us everything you have discovered about gow2 already
PLEASE DO NOT POST SPOILERS! If you must discuss what happens in the game, please do in a PM... Don't ruin the story for everyone who iswaiting for their copy.
