Parental controls for entertainment content

• US 20050081043A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Evans, C. Shane, Toll, Roderick M., Hildebrandt, Jonathan D., Choudhry, Kareem A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/4532 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

Parental controls for entertainment digital media are provided that allow a parent to restrict multiple user'"'"'s access to entertainment content. One or more updatable rating definition files with dynamic data are used to define rating levels and content descriptors for a regional rating system. Entertainment content definition files define the rating level and content descriptors for entertainment content. User permission settings define a particular user'"'"'s access rating level and content descriptors. The rating definition file can be used to compare the entertainment content definition file and user permission settings in determining if a user is allowed access to particular entertainment content.

Claims

1. In an entertainment system for playing entertainment content, a method of controlling a user'"'"'s access to the entertainment content using dynamic data defined by a rating definition file, entertainment content definition file and user permission settings, the method comprising steps for:

retrieving one of one or more rating definition files that dynamically define an entertainment rating scale;

retrieving an entertainment content definition file that defines a content rating for entertainment content;

retrieving user access settings that define a user access rating for a particular user; and

using the entertainment rating scale dynamically defined by the rating definition file to compare the user access rating with the content rating for the entertainment content to determine if the particular user is allowed access to the entertainment content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating definition file further dynamically defines one or more content descriptors for one or more-rating levels within the entertainment rating scale, the rating levels within the entertainment rating scale are age-based rating levels and the content descriptors define the type of subject matter within each rating scale.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein entertainment content definition file further defines one or more content descriptors for the entertainment content and the user access settings further define user content descriptors that limit the type subject matter a user is allowed access to within the user access rating, and wherein the step for using the entertainment rating scale dynamically defined by the rating definition file further includes a step for:

using the one or more content descriptors dynamically defined by the rating definition file to compare the user content descriptors with the one or more content descriptors for the entertainment content definition file to determine if the particular user is allowed access to the entertainment content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein then entertainment content is titled and a denial of access can be overridden by including the title in the user access settings.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if it is determined that the particular user is denied access to the entertainment content, the user is denied access to a directory associated with the entertainment content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment content is titled and, if it is determined that the user is allowed access to the entertainment content, the title and duration of access is recorded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating definition file retrieved is an XML file.

8. In an entertainment system for playing entertainment content, a method of controlling a user'"'"'s access to the entertainment content using dynamic data defined by a rating definition file, entertainment content definition file and user permission settings, the method comprising acts of:

creating a security group for the entertainment content;

denying access to the entertainment content for members of the security group;

reading an entertainment content definition file that defines a rating level and one or more content descriptors for the entertainment content;

reading user access settings for a particular user that define a rating level and one or more content descriptors for the user;

reading an updatable rating definition file that defines a rating hierarchy and content descriptors for one or more levels within the rating hierarchy;

based on the hierarchy defined in the rating definition file, executing instructions that compare the rating level and content descriptors for the entertainment content to the rating level and content descriptors for the user in determining if the user is authorized access to the entertainment content; and

adding the particular user as a member of the security group if the user is not authorized to access the entertainment content, thereby denying the user access to the entertainment content because members of the security group are denied access.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rating levels defined by the entertainment content definition file, user access settings and updatable rating definition file are age-based rating levels, and wherein the content descriptors defined by the entertainment content definition file, user access settings and updatable rating definition file are specific types of subject matter for the entertainment content.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the entertainment content is titled and a if the user is not authorized to access the entertainment content, the act of adding the particular user as a member of the security group is overridden by including the title in the user access settings.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein if the particular user is added as a member of the security group the particular user is denied access is further denied access to a directory associated with the entertainment content.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the entertainment content is titled and, if it the particular user is authorized access to the entertainment content, the method further includes the act of:

recording the title and duration of access to the entertainment content.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the rating definition file selected is an XML file.

14. In an entertainment system for playing entertainment content, a method of controlling a user'"'"'s access to the entertainment content using dynamic data defined by a rating definition file, entertainment content definition file and user permission settings, the method comprising acts of:

selecting a ratings definition file that defines a rating hierarchy and content descriptors for one or more levels within the rating hierarchy for an entertainment content definition file and user access settings;

selecting user access settings for a particular user;

within the user access settings, specifying a rating level and one or more content descriptors based on the selected ratings definition file in order to control content that can be accessed by the user; and

storing the user access settings to be used when comparing with an entertainment content rating in determining if the user has access to selected content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is performed for multiple users.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a dynamic visual feedback provides a brief explanation of the currently selected rating for a user.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the act of:

selecting a default behavior for unrated entertainment content chosen from the list including deny access, allow access and allow access while recording a title associated with the entertainment content and the duration of access.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the act of:

selecting one or more titles of entertainment content that create one or more exceptions to rating levels of entertainment content such that, if a title is selected for a user, the user is automatically allowed access to the entertainment content associated with the title.

19. In an entertainment system for playing entertainment content, a computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of controlling a user'"'"'s access to the entertainment content using dynamic data defined by a rating definition file, entertainment content definition file and user permission settings, the method comprising steps for:

retrieving one of one or more rating definition files that dynamically define an entertainment rating scale and one or more content descriptors for each level within the rating scale;

retrieving an entertainment content definition file that defines a content rating and one or more content descriptors for entertainment content;

retrieving user access settings that define a user access rating and one or more content descriptors for a particular user; and

using the entertainment rating scale and one or more content descriptors for each level within the rating scale dynamically defined by the rating definition file to compare the user access rating and one or more content descriptors with the content rating and one or more content descriptors for the entertainment content to determine if the particular user is allowed access to the entertainment content.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the entertainment content is titled and a denial of access can be overridden by including the title in the user access settings.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein if it is determined that the particular user is denied access to the entertainment content, the user is denied access to a directory associated with the entertainment content.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the entertainment content is titled and, if it is determined that the user is allowed access to the entertainment content, the title and duration of access is recorded.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the rating definition file retrieved is an XML file.

24. In an entertainment system for playing entertainment content, a computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of controlling a user'"'"'s access to the entertainment content using dynamic data defined by a rating definition file, entertainment content definition file and user permission settings, the method comprising acts of:

creating a security group for the entertainment content;

denying access to the entertainment content for members of the security group;

reading an entertainment content definition file that defines a rating level for the entertainment content;

reading user access settings for a particular user that define a rating level for the user;

reading an updatable rating definition file that defines a rating hierarchy;

based on the hierarchy defined in the rating definition file, executing instructions that compare the rating level for the entertainment content to the rating level for the user in determining if the user is authorized access to the entertainment content; and

adding the particular user as a member of the security group if the user is not authorized to access the entertainment content, thereby denying the user access to the entertainment content because members of the security group are denied access.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the updatable rating definition file further defines one or more content descriptors for one or more levels within the rating hierarchy, the entertainment content definition file further defines one or more content descriptors for the entertainment content and the user access settings further define user content descriptors for the user, and wherein the act of executing instructions that compare the rating level for the entertainment content to the rating level for the user further includes the act of:

executing instructions that compare the one or more content descriptors for the entertainment content with the user content descriptors in determining if the user is authorized access to the entertainment content.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the rating levels defined by the entertainment content definition file, user access settings and updatable rating definition file are age-based rating levels, and wherein the content descriptors defined by the entertainment content definition file, user access settings and updatable rating definition file are specific types of subject matter for the entertainment content.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the entertainment content is titled and a if the user is not authorized to access the entertainment content, the act of adding the particular user as a member of the security group is overridden by including the title in the user access settings.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein if the particular user is added as a member of the security group the particular user is denied access is further denied access to a directory associated with the entertainment content.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the entertainment content is titled and, if it the particular user is authorized access to the entertainment content, the method further includes the act of:

recording the title and duration of access to the entertainment content.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the rating definition file selected is an XML file.