Television schedule system with access control

• US 20050125822A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Folker, David, Burgess, Andrew, Casement, Marcy
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/4751 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 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a television schedule system with a user interface which allows a user to control access to television programs by time, rating, content, and/or channel. Furthermore, the user may set a limit on pay-per-view (PPV) spending to limit the purchase of PPV programs.

Claims

1. A method of exercising access control over television programs comprising the steps of:

storing a first password;

entering a criterion for blocking a television program from being viewed;

displaying a plurality of television program listings on a screen;

selecting one of the displayed listings for viewing or recording;

requesting a viewer to input a password if the selected program meets the blocking criterion; and

unblocking the selected program that meets the blocking criterion so it can be viewed or recorded if the viewer inputs a password that matches the first password responsive to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the step of entering a criterion comprises:

displaying on the screen a list of criteria; and

selecting the criterion to enter from the list of criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the step of entering a criterion comprises:

displaying on the screen a prompt to the viewer to enter a password;

displaying on the screen a list of criteria if the viewer inputs a password that matches the first password responsive to the prompt;

selecting the criterion to enter from the list of criteria;

removing the list of criteria from the screen after the criterion has been entered; and

preventing selection of another criterion until a matching password is input.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the step of entering a criterion enters a program rating.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the step of entering a criterion enters a channel identification.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of displaying a lock symbol next to the channel identification in the program listings.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the step of entering a criterion enters a time period.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the step of entering a criterion enters a spending limit for pay-per-view programs.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tuning to the selected program for viewing or recording if the selected program does not meet the blocking criterion.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the unblocking step comprises the step of unblocking all of the programs.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the step of unblocking the selected program comprises verifying the password and preventing the viewer from entering the password for a predetermined period of time if the password was entered incorrectly for a predetermined number of attempts.

12. A parental control system comprising:

a display screen;

an input device for entering a first password and a criterion for blocking television programs from being viewed;

a display processor for displaying a plurality of television program listings on the screen;

a pointing device for selecting one of the displayed listings for viewing or recording;

a pop up window for prompting a viewer to enter a second password if the selected program meets the blocking criterion; and

a processor for unblocking the selected program that meets the blocking criterion so it can be viewed or recorded if the viewer enters a second password that matches the first password.

13. The system of claim 12, in which the display processor displays on the screen a list of criteria if the viewer enters a password that matches the first password and processes a selected criterion from the list of criteria.

14. The system of claim 12, in which the display processor displays on the screen a list of criteria;

and the processor processes a selected criterion from the list of criteria and prevents selection of another criterion until a matching password is entered.

15. The system of claim 12, in which the input device enters a program rating as a criterion.

16. The system or claim 12, in which the input device enters a channel identification as a criterion.

17. The system of claim 16, in which the display processor further displays a lock symbol next to the channel identification in the program listings.

18. The system of claim 12, in which the input device enters a time period as a criterion.

19. The system of claim 12, in which the input device enters a spending limit for pay-per-view programs as a criterion.

20. The system of claim 12, in which the processor verifies the password and prevents the viewer from entering the password for a predetermined period of time if the password was entered incorrectly for a predetermined number of attempts.

21-26. -26. (canceled)