User Access Control System And Method

• US 20100083371A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennetts, Christopher Lee, Larsen, Christopher W.
• Application Number:
  US12/243,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083371A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• 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 21/4415 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 21/4532 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
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A user access control system, comprising an electronic device comprising an electronic device comprising a reduced function operating system configured to enable access to at least one type of media content and a content control module executable by the reduced function operating system, the content control module configured to authenticate an identity of a user and control access to the at least one type of media content based on the identity of the user.

Claims

1. A user access control system, comprising:

an electronic device comprising a reduced function operating system configured to enable access to at least one type of media content; and

a content control module executable by the reduced function operating system, the content control module configured to authenticate an identity of a user and control access to the at least one type of media content based on the identity of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module is configured to disable access to at least one type of media content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module is configured to control access to the at least one type of media content based on a content access level setting for the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module is configured to apply a ratings map associated with the user to determine accessible media content for the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module is configured to automatically populate a user profile for the user to automatically set a content access level setting for a plurality of different types of media content based on a content access level setting for one type of media content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module is configured to dynamically filter the at least one type of media content based on the identity of the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module is configured to dynamically control access to the at least one type of media content in response to detecting a change in an identity of a user of the electronic device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the content control module biometrically authenticates the identity of the user.

9. A user access control system, comprising:

a biometric authentication device for authenticating an identity of a user, and

an electronic device having a content control module executable by a reduced function operating system, the content control module configured to control access to a full function operating system based on the identity of the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the biometric authentication device comprises a fingerprint reader.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic device comprises a button configured to initialize the reduced function operating system.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the content control module verifies a content access level setting for the user to control access to the full function operating system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the content control module is configured to control access to at least one type of media content based on the identity of the user.

14. A user access control method, comprising:

configuring a content control module to authenticate an identity of a user and, based on the identity of the user, control access to at least one type of media content presentable by an electronic device, the content control module executable by a reduced function operating system for the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising accessing the at least one type of media content based on the identity of the user.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising filtering the at least one type of media content based on the identity of the user.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying a ratings map which correlates a rating system for at least two different media content types for the identified user.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling access to a full function operating system of the electronic device based on the identity of the user.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising dynamically adjusting access to the at least one type of media content in response to detecting a change in an identity of a user of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising biometrically authenticating the identity of the user.