Apparatus and method for parental control using V-Chip plus+ and master password

• US 20020095673A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Mankovitz, Roy J., Yuen, Henry C., Leung, Wing P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,006,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and apparatus for exercising access control over television programs using a parental control user interface that has different functions is provided. The method requires a password to enter into a master mode for obtaining access to all the functions of the parental control user interface. Once in the master mode, the user may enter a criterion for blocking a television program from being viewed or recorded or the user can override an already blocked television program.

If a user, not in the master mode, attempts to watch or record a program that meets the blocking criterion and the program does not meet the overriding criterion, a prompt is provided to the user to enter the password. Upon entering a correct password, the program is unblocked.

Claims

1. A method of exercising access control over television programs using a parental control user interface having different functions, said method comprising the steps of:

requiring a password for a master mode to obtain access to all the functions of the parental control user interface;

entering a criterion for blocking a television program from being viewed or recorded or overriding a blocked television program;

selecting a program for displaying or recording;

prompting a user not in the master mode to enter the password if the selected program meets the blocking criterion and does not meet the overriding criterion; and

unblocking the selected program that meets the blocking criterion and does not meet the overbidding criterion so it can be viewed if the user enters the password responsive to the prompt.

2. An apparatus for parental control of a television receiver, comprising:

a television display;

a tuner for receiving a plurality of television programs and passing one of said television programs;

a memory for storing a blocking override list comprising information relating to at least one television program, and an enable override list comprising information relating to at least one television program;

a microprocessor selectively operable in a blocking mode and an unblocking mode, said microprocessor generating a blocking command in said unblocking mode only when the television program passed by the tuner corresponds to said information relating to one of the television program in said blocking override list, and generating a blocking command in said blocking mode only when the television program passed by the tuner does not correspond to said information relating to any one of the television programs in said enable override list; and

a blocking circuit for coupling the television program passed by the tuner to said television display, said blocking circuit having a control input which causes the television program passed by the tuner to be blocked from said television display in response to the blocking command.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the television program passed by the tuner includes rating information, and further comprising a vertical blanking decoder for extracting said rating information from the television program, said microprocessor being selectively operated in one of said blocking mode and unblocking mode based on said extracted rating information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said memory comprises rating information stored therein, and said microprocessor is selectively operated in one of said blocking mode and unblocking mode based on a comparison between the extracted rating information from the television program and the rating information stored in memory.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the blocking override list information comprises channel, date, time and length for each of its respective television programs, and the enable override list information comprises channel, date, time and length for each of its respective television programs.

6. A method for exercising parental control over a television receiver, comprising the steps of:

creating an enable override list comprising information relating to at least one television program to be watched or recorded in a blocking mode;

creating a blocking override list comprising information relating to at least one television program to be blocked in an unblocking mode;

selecting the blocking mode or the unblocking mode;

permitting only television programs relating to said information in the enable override list to be watched or recorded when the blocking mode is selected; and

blocking only television programs relating to said information in the blocking override list from being watched or recorded when the unblocking mode is selected.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the selecting step further comprises the steps of programming the television receiver with rating information, extracting rating information broadcast with a television program tuned by the television receiver, comparing the programmed rating information with the broadcast rating information, and selecting the blocking mode or unblocking mode as a function of said comparison.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of creating the enable override list comprises entering information relating to channel, date, time and length of the television programs to be watched or recorded in the blocking mode, and the step of creating the blocking override list comprises entering information relating to channel, date, time and length of the television programs to be blocked in the unblocking.

9. A method for exercising parental control, comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal carrying a television program and a rating for the television program;

inputting a rating level;

extracting the television program rating from the received television signal;

comparing the extracted television program rating with the inputted rating level;

displaying the television program carried by the received television signal if the extracted television program rating is below the inputted rating level;

blocking the television program carried by the received television signal if the extracted television program rating is above the inputted rating level;

selecting a specific television program which, when carried by the received television signal, will override the comparing step; and

displaying the specific television program, when carried by the received television signal, if its rating is above the inputted rating level, or blocking the specific television program, when carried by the received television signal, if its rating is below the inputted rating level.