Patent ID: 7440677

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) determining a video format of an analog video signal; (b) based at least on said determining, identifying a region of said analog video signal that may contain at least one of a copy protection indicator and a redistribution control indicator; (c) detecting said at least one indicator in said region of said analog video signal; (d) confirming said detected at least one indicator by: (i) detecting another instance of said at least one indicator in said region of said analog video signal; (ii) comparing said another instance of said at least one indicator with said at least one indicator detected in (c); (iii) repeating (d)(i) and (d)(ii) until Z instances of said at least one indicator matching said at least one indicator detected in (c) are detected during a predetermined time period, Z being an integer greater than or equal to one, said predetermined time period comprising a transmission time of P frames or fields of said analog video signal, P being an integer greater than or equal to one; (e) limiting at least one of copying and redistribution of said analog video signal in accordance with said confirmed at least one indicator; and (f) reconfirming said detected at least one indicator by: (i) detecting a further instance of said at least one indicator in said region of said analog video signal; (ii) comparing said further instance of said at least one indicator with said at least one indicator detected in (c); and (iii) repeating (f)(i) and (f)(ii) until Z instances of said at least one indicator matching said at least one indicator detected in (c) are detected during another time period comprising a transmission time of R frames or fields of said analog video signal, R being an integer greater than or equal to one, wherein P and R are independently configurable.