Viewing limit apparatus, viewing limit system, and viewing limit program

• US 20040158851A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Unemura, Toyoaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/80 characterised in that motion picture association of America [MPAA] ratings are used
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4755 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• 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

First rating information, together with a television broadcasting signal, is transmitted, and second rating information, together with electronic program guide information, is transmitted. A controller extracts the first rating information from video data decoded by a video decoder, and extracts the second rating information from EPG data decoded by an EPG processor. At the time of reserving a program, it is judged whether or not the program can be reserved by restricting viewing on the basis of the second rating information, and the result of the judgment is displayed on a program reservation setting guide.

Claims

1. (amended) A viewing restricting apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives a television broadcasting signal, together with first rating information for restricting viewing, and receives electronic program guide information, together with second rating information for restricting viewing;

a program output unit that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver;

an information holding unit that holds the electronic program guide information received by said receiver; and

a controller, wherein

said controller has

a first information extracting function for extracting the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver,

a first output restricting function for restricting the output of the program by said program output unit on the basis of the first rating information extracted by said first information extracting function,

a second information extracting function for extracting the second rating information from the electronic program guide information held by said information holding unit, and

a second output restricting function for restricting the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the second rating information extracted by said second information extracting function.

2. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a rating setting unit that sets the rating of the program whose viewing should be restricted,

said controller restricting the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the rating set by said rating setting unit.

3. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said program output unit comprises

a video display for displaying a video, and

a video signal processor that extracts a video signal from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, and displays the video of the program on said video display.

4. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said program output unit comprises

an audio output unit for outputting an audio, and

an audio signal processor that extracts an audio signal from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, and outputs the audio of the program from said audio output unit.

5. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an electronic program guide display for displaying an electronic program guide on the basis of the electronic program guide information held by said information holding unit.

6. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controller has a program reserving function for reserving the output of the program from said program output unit, and a reservation restricting function for restricting the reservation of the program by said program reserving function on the basis of the second rating information extracted from the electronic program guide information.

7. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising

a reservation possibility/impossibility presenting unit that presents the possibility/impossibility of the reservation by said reservation restricting function.

8. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a recording reservation commanding unit that commands a recording device to reserve the recording of the video or the audio of the program,

said controller having a recording reservation restricting function for restricting the command to reserve the recording by said recording reservation commanding unit on the basis of the second rating information extracted from the electronic program guide information.

9. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising

a recording reservation possibility/impossibility presenting unit that presents the possibility/impossibility of the command to reserve the recording by said recording reservation restricting function.

10. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second rating information has the same data structure as that of said first rating information.

11. (amended) The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first information extracting function, said first output restricting function, said second information extracting function and said second output restricting function are realized by common software.

12. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second rating information is encoded in the electronic program guide information and transmitted.

13. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a channel switching unit that switches a receiving channel by said receiver,

said controller extracting the second rating information from the electronic program guide information held by said information holding unit in response to the switching of the channel by said channel switching unit, and restricting the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

14. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said controller restricts the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the second rating information extracted when the channel is switched by said channel switching unit, and then extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver to restrict the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

15. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an external input terminal that receives an external signal, and

an input switching unit that switches input of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver and input of the external signal from said external input terminal, to feed the television broadcasting signal or the external signal to said program output unit,

said controller extracting the second rating information from the electronic program guide information held by said information holding unit in response to the switching from the input of the external signal to the input of the television broadcasting signal by said input switching unit, and restricting the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

16. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

said controller restricts the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the second rating information extracted when the input is switched by said input switching unit, and then extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver to restrict the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

17. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said channel switching unit has an alternately switching function for alternately switching for each operation of a predetermined key a channel currently selected and a channel selected immediately before the operation of the predetermined key, and

said controller extracts the second rating information from the electronic program guide information held by said information holding unit in response to the switching of the channel by the alternately switching function of said channel switching unit, and restricts the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

18. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said controller restricts the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the second rating information extracted when the channel is switched by the alternately switching function of said channel switching unit, and then extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver to restrict the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

19. A viewing restricting system comprising:

a transmitting device that transmits a television broadcasting signal, together with first rating information for restricting viewing, and transmits electronic program guide information, together with second rating information for restricting viewing; and

a receiving device that receives the television broadcasting signal transmitted by said transmitting device,

said receiving device comprising

a receiver that receives the television broadcasting signal transmitted by said transmitting device, together with the first rating information, and receives the electronic program guide information transmitted by said transmitting device, together with the second rating information,

a program output unit that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver,

an information holding unit that holds the electronic program guide information received by said receiver, and

a controller that extracts the second rating information from the electronic program guide information held by said information holding unit, and restricts the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

20. A transmitting device comprising

an information production unit that produces a television broadcasting signal including first rating information for restricting viewing and electronic program guide information including second rating information for restricting viewing, and

a transmitter that transmits the television broadcasting signal including the first rating information produced by said information production unit, and transmits the electronic program guide information including the second rating information produced by said information production unit.

21. A viewing restricting program, which is readable by a computer, for restricting viewing in a television receiver comprising a receiver that receives a television broadcasting signal, together with first rating information for restricting viewing, and receives electronic program guide information, together with second rating information for restricting viewing, and a program output unit that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, for causing said computer to perform:

processing for holding said received electronic program guide information;

processing for extracting the second rating information from said held electronic program guide information; and

processing for restricting the output of the program from said program output unit on the basis of said extracted second rating information.