Method and apparatus for providing parental control

• US 20030103627A1
• Filed: 12/03/2001
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Kidd, Roy Earl, Nierzwick, Mark Alan
• Application Number:
  US10/004,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030103627A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/240
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method for operating an apparatus having parental controls includes steps of providing access to the parental controls of the apparatus, determining whether at least one setting of the parental controls is changed during the access, and providing a notification to a user when at least one setting of the parental controls is changed during the access. According to an exemplary embodiment, the notification is provided to the user via an electronic mail message and/or is provided via a message stored in a memory of the apparatus which is retrievable by the user.

Claims

1. A method for operating an apparatus having parental controls, comprising steps of:

providing access to the parental controls of the apparatus;

determining whether at least one setting of the parental controls is changed during the access; and

providing a notification to a user when at least one setting of the parental controls is changed during the access.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided to the user via an electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic mail message is sent to a predetermined electronic mail address which can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided via a message stored in a memory of the apparatus which is retrievable by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification indicates a date when the at least one setting of the parental controls is changed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the date indicated in the notification can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification indicates a time when the at least one setting of the parental controls is changed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the time indicated in the notification can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the parental controls of the apparatus is provided in response to a password input.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprised of providing a second notification to the user in response to a predetermined number of invalid password input attempts.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second notification is provided to the user via an electronic mail message.

12. An apparatus having parental controls, comprising:

an input terminal for receiving an input requesting access to the parental controls of the apparatus; and

a processor for providing the access to the parental controls in response to the input, determining whether at least one setting of the parental controls is changed during the access, and providing a notification to a user when at least one setting of the parental controls is changed during the access.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the notification is provided to the user via an electronic mail message.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic mail message is sent to a predetermined electronic mail address which can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a memory, wherein the notification is provided via a message stored in the memory which is retrievable by the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the notification indicates a date when the at least one setting of the parental controls is changed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the date indicated in the notification can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the notification indicates a time when the at least one setting of the parental controls is changed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the time indicated in the notification can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the input requesting the access to the parental controls is a password.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor provides a second notification to the user in response to a predetermined number of invalid password input attempts.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second notification is provided to the user via an electronic mail message.

23. A method for operating an apparatus having parental controls, comprising steps of:

detecting when a rating level corresponding to a reproduction exceeds a rating level corresponding to a parental control setting; and

providing a notification to a user without blocking the reproduction when the rating level corresponding to the reproduction exceeds the rating level corresponding to the parental control setting.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the notification is provided to the user via an electronic mail message.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the electronic mail message is sent to a predetermined electronic mail address which can not be changed through access to the parental controls.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the notification is provided via a message stored in a memory of the apparatus which is retrievable by the user.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the reproduction is a television program.