Universal parental control

• US 20070245398A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roden, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US11/402,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• 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 21/43615 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 21/4532 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 21/4751 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

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention address this need and others by providing methods of controlling media content access through a universal control device that is linked to a plurality of consumer electronic devices in a common environment.

Claims

1. A universal content control device for controlling media content access comprising:

an input for receiving input associated with said media content access rules;

a processor for associating said media content access rules with different types of consumer electronic devices based on the capabilities of said consumer electronic devices; and

an output for transmitting said associated media content and access instructions to said different types of consumer electronic devices for controlling content access at said consumer electronic devices.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said universal control device further comprises a memory and a transmit/receive function.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said memory contains rules for content and access of said media.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein a common rules list is applied to all consumer electronic devices.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein a separate rules list exists for each type of consumer electronic device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said consumer electronic devices include one or more of TVs, DVD players and computers.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein media is a displayable visual output or an auditory output.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein said processor selects rules stored in said memory based on said input by matching said input to relevant ones of plurality of consumer electronic devices having corresponding capabilities and further wherein said processor formats said selected rules into a data format which is compatible with respective ones of said plurality of consumer electronic devices.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of receiving input associated with said media content access rules by a universal control device further comprises the step of:

creating content access rules for said plurality of consumer electronic devices through selection and formatting of said input.

9. A method for distributing media content access rules comprising the steps of:

receiving input associated with said media content access rules;

associating said media content access rules with different types of consumer electronic devices based on the capabilities of said consumer electronic devices; and

transmitting said associated media content and access instructions to said different types of consumer electronic devices for controlling content access at said consumer electronic devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said universal control device includes a processor, memory and a transmit/receive function.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

storing rules for content and access in said universal control device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

applying a common rules list for all consumer electronic devices associated with said universal control device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

applying a separate rules list for each type of consumer electronic device associated with said universal control device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said consumer electronic devices include one or more of TVs, DVD players and computers.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said displayed visual output or emitted auditory output is media.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said processor selects rules stored in said memory based on said input by matching said input to relevant ones of plurality of consumer electronic devices having corresponding capabilities and further wherein said processor formats said selected rules into a data format which is compatible with respective ones of said plurality of consumer electronic devices.

18. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed on a universal content control device, performs the steps of:

receiving input associated with said media content access rules;

associating said media content access rules with different types of consumer electronic devices based on the capabilities of said consumer electronic devices; and

transmitting said associated media content and access instructions to said different types of consumer electronic devices for controlling content access at said consumer electronic devices.

19. A system for distributing media content access rules comprising:

a universal content control device for receiving input associated with said media content access rules;

a plurality of consumer electronic devices, wherein said consumer electronic devices interact with media based on media content access instructions received from said universal content control device; and

communication links connecting said universal content control device to said plurality of consumer electronic devices,

wherein said universal content control device further includes;

an input for receiving input associated with said media content access rules;

a processor for associating said media content access rules with different types of consumer electronic devices based on the capabilities of said consumer electronic devices; and

an output for transmitting said associated media content and access instructions to said plurality of consumer electronic devices for controlling content access at said consumer electronic devices.