Television receiver

• US 20080169902A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shiroyama, Fumie
• Application Number:
  US11/984,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• 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 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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

A television receiver that is equipped with a lock function for preventing the settings for the channel the user is currently viewing from being changed when a child presses an operation button such as a power button, a channel changing button, a volume setting button, etc., and that enables only a specific user to effect switching between locked and unlocked states. More specifically, the television receiver has a locked state in which the operation of any operation button provided on a receiver main unit is disabled, and an unlocked state in which the operation is enabled, and the television receiver is constructed to include: a storage unit which stores fingerprint data of an authorized user; a fingerprint authentication unit which compares fingerprint data acquired by scanning a finger of a user with the fingerprint data stored in the storage unit, and thereby identifies whether the user is an authorized user or not; and a control unit which effects switching between the locked state and the unlocked state each time the user is identified as an authorized user by the fingerprint authentication unit.

Claims

1. A television receiver having a locked state in which the operation of any operation button provided on a receiver main unit is disabled, and an unlocked state in which said operation is enabled, comprising:

a storage unit which stores fingerprint data of an authorized user;

a fingerprint authentication unit which compares fingerprint data acquired by scanning a finger of a user with the fingerprint data stored in said storage unit, and thereby identifies whether said user is an authorized user or not; and

a control unit which effects switching between said locked state and said unlocked state each time said user is identified as an authorized user by said fingerprint authentication unit.

2. A television receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein fingerprint data of more than one user can be stored in said storage unit.

3. A television receiver as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a unit that accepts an operation for storing the fingerprint data of said user in said storage unit.

4. A television receiver as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a unit that accepts an operation for clearing the fingerprint data stored in said storage unit.

5. A television receiver as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a unit that indicates whether said television receiver is in said locked state or in said unlocked state.

6. A computer readable recording medium for use with a computer incorporated in a television receiver having a locked state in which the operation of any operation button provided on a receiver main unit is disabled, and an unlocked state in which said operation is enabled, said recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing said computer to function as:

a storage unit which stores fingerprint data of an authorized user;

a fingerprint authentication unit which compares fingerprint data acquired by scanning a finger of a user with the fingerprint data stored in said storage unit, and thereby identifies whether said user is an authorized user or not; and

a control unit which effects switching between said locked state and said unlocked state each time said user is identified as an authorized user by said fingerprint authentication unit.

7. A recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said program further causes said computer to function so as to store fingerprint data of more than one user in said storage unit.

8. A recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said program further causes said computer to function as a unit that accepts an operation for storing the fingerprint data of said user in said storage unit.

9. A recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said program further causes said computer to function as a unit that accepts an operation for clearing the fingerprint data stored in said storage unit.

10. A recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said program further causes said computer to function as a unit that indicates whether said television receiver is in said locked state or in said unlocked state.

11. A lock control method for use in a television receiver having a locked state in which the operation of any operation button provided on a receiver main unit is disabled, and an unlocked state in which said operation is enabled, comprising:

causing a fingerprint authentication unit to compare fingerprint data acquired by scanning a finger of a user with fingerprint data prestored in a storage unit, and thereby identify whether said user is an authorized user or not; and

causing a control unit to effect switching between said locked state and said unlocked state each time said user is identified as an authorized user.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein fingerprint data of more than one user can be stored in said storage unit.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising causing an input unit to accept an operation for storing the fingerprint data of said user.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising causing an input unit to accept an operation for clearing said stored fingerprint data.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising causing an output unit to indicate whether said television receiver is in said locked state or in said unlocked state.