Parental control for a networked multiroom system

• US 20050155052A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russ, Samuel H., Ostrowska, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US11/069,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20050155052A1
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Interactive network guide with parental control in a networked multi-room system. The networked multi-room system is made up of one primary device and one or more remote devices where the primary device includes an indication of status of at least one of the remote devices. The user on the primary device can block presentations on any remote device on demand from the primary device. The block will expire when the presentations ends.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing parental control in a networked multi-room system (NMS), said method comprising the steps of:

providing a network guide on a primary device of said NMS;

providing an indication of status of one or more remote devices of said NMS on said network guide; and

controlling said remote device form said primary device in response to said indication of status of said one or more remote devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said control step comprises from said primary device blocking a tuned or recorded signal from displaying from one of said remote devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of prompting a user to block said tuned or recorded signal from displaying on another remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said control step comprises blocking a tuned signal received in said remote device from said primary device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of a block on a presentation expiring at the conclusion of said presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said control step comprises from said primary device blocking a signal tuned by said remote device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of a block on a presentation expiring at the conclusion of said presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said control step comprises from said primary device blocking a presentation recorded by said remote device from being displayed by said remote device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of a block on a presentation expiring at the conclusion of said presentation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said control step comprises from said primary device blocking a presentation recorded by said primary device from being displayed on said remote device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of a block on a presentation expiring at the conclusion of said presentation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication of status is a channel change.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said control step comprises blocking a presentation in response to a user of the primary device receiving said channel change.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

updating said network guide on said primary device with said blocked presentation; and

the primary device distributing the updated network guide to said remote devices.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a password screen in order to block said presentation.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of unblocking a blocked presentation on said remote device after entering a password on said password screen.