PARENTAL CONTROLS IN A MEDIA NETWORK

• US 20080148310A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Strickland, Shawn
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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 21/4751 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

Abstract

Access to media content is restricted. A message may be sent to a remote computer requesting access to the media content, wherein the message is based at least in part on user input. A response to the message may be received from the remote computer. It may be determined whether to provide access to the media content based on the response.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a content processing device; and

a software application included on the content processing device that is configured to;

restrict access to media content that is selectively provided to the content processing device;

send a message to a remote computer requesting access to restricted media content, wherein the message is based at least in part on user input;

receive a response to the message from the remote computer; and

determine whether to provide access to the media content based on the response.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content processing device is a set top box.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a messaging server that receives the message from the content processing device and provides the message to the remote computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the response includes a text message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is further configured to send a reply to the response, wherein the reply is based at least in part on user input.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a profile database that includes a profile that is used to determine access to the media content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is further configured to communicate with the profile database to receive an updated profile based at least in part on the response that is used to determine access to the media content.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the media content includes a video signal.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a packet switched network that provides a communications link between the messaging server and the content processing device; and

a media distribution network that provides the media content to the content processing device.

11. A method comprising:

restricting access to media content;

sending a message to a remote computer requesting access to the media content, wherein the message is based at least in part on user input;

receiving a response to the message from the remote computer; and

determining whether to provide access to the media content based on the response.

8. The method of claim 11, wherein the software application is further configured to communicate with the profile database to update a profile that is used to determine access to the media content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating with a profile database to receive an updated profile that is used to determine access to the media content.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating with a profile database to update a profile that is used to determine access to the media content.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the response includes a text message.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a reply to the response;

wherein the reply is based at least in part on user input.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending the message to the remote computer via a packet switched network; and

receiving the media content via a media distribution network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the packet switched network includes at least one of a local area network and the Internet.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the media content includes a video signal.

19. The method of claim 11, tangibly embodied as a set of instructions on a computer-readable medium.

20. A system comprising:

a content processing device;

a software application included on the content processing device that is configured to;

restrict access to video content that is selectively provided to the content processing device;

send a message to a remote computer requesting access to restricted media content, wherein the message is based at least in part on user input;

receive a response to the message from the remote computer; and

determine whether to provide access to the video content based on the response; and

a profile database that includes a profile that is used to determine access to the video content, wherein the software application is further configured to communicate with the profile database for at least one of receiving an updated profile that is used to determine access to the video content and updating a profile that is used to determine access to the video content.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a packet switched network that provides a communications link between the messaging server and the content processing device; and

a video distribution network that provides the video content to the content processing device.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a messaging server that receives the message from the content processing device and provides the message to the remote computer.