Use of two remote controllers in parental control

• US 20030237088A1
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Duncan, Andrew, Macrae, Douglas B., Yuen, Henry C., Leung, Wing P.
• Application Number:
  US10/419,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20030237088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A television control system automatically tunes a television set to receive and display a desired program telecast at a future time. This is done by keying in a PLUS CODE™ number defining the channel, time, day, and length (CTDL data) of the program or selecting the program from an on-screen program guide to capture the CTDL data from an EPG data base stored in memory. The CTDL data is stored in a stack memory until the time of the program. The microprocessor monitors the stack memory. The microprocessor tunes the television set to the channel on which the desired program is telecast and turns the television set on at the time of the desired program.

If the television set is already on at the time of the desired program, the television set is not turned off at the conclusion of the desired program, i.e., it remains on. However, if the television set is off at the time of the desired program, the television set is turned off again at the conclusion of the desired program. This results in the television set not being left on when the residents are away from home while the scheduled tuning feature is being used.

Claims

1. A parental control system comprising:

a first remote controller for issuing tuner commands having a first distinguishing characteristic;

a second remote controller for issuing tuner commands having a second distinguishing characteristic;

a television tuner;

an appliance connected to the tuner to use the signal from the tuner;

a microprocessor responsive to the commands of the remote controllers;

means for configuring the microprocessor to establish parental control standards;

means for configuring the microprocessor to detect the distinguishing characteristics;

means for configuring the microprocessor to detect a command that violates the parental control standards;

means for configuring the microprocessor to set the tuner when a command that violates the parental control standards has the first distinguishing characteristic and to ignore such a command that has the second distinguishing characteristic.