SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILTERING BROADCAST COMMUNICATION BASED ON VIEWING CONTEXT

• US 20090158313A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies Corporation (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Card, John A. II
• Granted Patent: US 9,032,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• 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

A video control system for displaying video products within a current viewing context is designed to receive, via a broadcast communication, a video product and product information for the video product. The product information includes an intended viewing context for the video product. The video control system processes the product information and filters the video product based on a comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context.

Claims

1. A method of operating a video control system for displaying video products within a current viewing context, the method comprising:

receiving a video product via a broadcast communication;

receiving product information for the video product;

processing the product information to determine an intended viewing context for the video product; and

filtering the video product based on a comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering the video product based on the comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context comprises blocking the video product if the current viewing context does not satisfy the intended viewing context.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the intended viewing context comprises a period of local time, wherein the current viewing context comprises a current local time, and wherein filtering the video product based on the comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context comprises blocking the video product if the current local time is not within the period of local time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the intended viewing context comprises a region, wherein the current viewing context comprises a current location, and wherein filtering the video product based on the comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context comprises blocking the video product if the current location is not within the region.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the intended viewing context comprises a consumer group, wherein the current viewing context comprises a current consumer, and wherein filtering the video product based on the comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context comprises blocking the video product if the current consumer is not within the consumer group.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the product information indicates a rating for the video product and wherein the method further comprises:

filtering the video product based on a comparison of the rating for the viewing product and a rating criteria.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the rating identifies a content label and an intended audience.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast communication comprises a satellite broadcast communication.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast communication comprises a cable broadcast communication.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast communication comprises a terrestrial broadcast communication.

11. A video control system comprising:

a receive interface configured to receive a video product via a broadcast communication, and to receive product information for the video product; and

a control interface configured to receive control commands from a user;

processing circuitry electrically coupled to the receive interface and the control interface, including filtering software and storage media, and configured to process the product information to determine an intended viewing context for the video product, and filter the video product based on a comparison of the intended viewing context and the current viewing context.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a transmit interface electrically coupled to the processing circuitry, configured to receive filtered video product from the processing circuitry and to send a video signal to a user.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry is also configured to block the video product if the current viewing context does not satisfy the intended viewing context.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the intended viewing context comprises a period of local time, wherein the current viewing context comprises a current local time, and wherein the processing circuitry is also configured to block the video product if the current local time is not within the period of local time.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the intended viewing context comprises a region, wherein the current viewing context comprises a current location, and wherein the processing circuitry is also configured to block the video product if the current location is not within the region.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the intended viewing context comprises a consumer group, wherein the current viewing context comprises a current consumer, and wherein the processing circuitry is also configured to block the video product if the current consumer is not within the consumer group.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the product information indicates a rating for the video product and wherein the processing circuitry is also configured to filter the video product based on a comparison of the rating for the viewing product and a rating criteria.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the rating identifies a content label and an intended audience.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the broadcast communication comprises a satellite broadcast communication.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the broadcast communication comprises a cable broadcast communication.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the broadcast communication comprises a terrestrial broadcast communication.