V-Chip plus +: in-guide user interface apparatus and method

• US 20020109732A1
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E-Guide Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Guide Inc.
• Inventors: Hugon, Jacques L., Macrae, Douglas B., Ward, Thomas E. III
• Application Number:
  US10/035,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20020109732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method are provided for restricting access to a television by providing parental control functions. Separate parental control levels are set for different users with each user having a different password. When the television is initially turned on, the default parental control level chosen is to be the level that corresponds with the most restrictive parental control level. If another user with a less restrictive parental control level wishes to change the parental control level, they enter their password for their level of parental control.

Claims

1. An on-screen user interface for exercising parental control commands comprising:

means for displaying a master menu on a monitor screen, the master menu having a plurality of parental control choices;

selecting one of the choices from the master menu;

displaying on the screen a menu for entering the selected choice;

displaying on the screen a menu of users;

selecting one of the displayed users; and

executing the selected choice with respect to the selected user.