PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20100162342A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Lee M., Piepenbrink, David J., Sofos, James T.
• Application Number:
  US12/341,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/4532 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 21/4755 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method of controlling access to electronic content across a plurality of devices includes creating a user profile associated with a user based on profile input from the user or an administrator and generating a universal content control profile (UCCP) based on the user profile. At least one of the user profile and the UCCP is then stored to a computer readable storage medium. Based on the UCCP and a device-type of a selected electronic device, a content control setting (CCS) is determined for the selected electronic device. Upon detecting a communication channel with the selected electronic device, the method includes providing the CCS to the selected electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to electronic content across a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

creating a user profile associated with a user based on profile input from at least one of the user or an administrator;

generating a universal content control profile (UCCP) based on the user profile;

storing at least one of the user profile and the UCCP to a computer readable storage medium;

determining, based on the UCCP and a device-type of a selected electronic device, a content control setting (CCS) for the selected electronic device; and

responsive to detecting a communication channel with the selected electronic device, providing the CCS to the selected electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by a set top box, a user profile interface enabling the profile input; and

displaying the user profile interface on a display device connected to the set top box.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by a web-based application, a user profile interface enabling the administrator to provide the administrator input; and

displaying the user profile interface via a web browser.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a password associated with the CCS; and

implementing the password on the selected electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing the CCS is responsive to detecting a communication connection selected from the group consisting of:

an 802.11-type (WiFi) connection, a Bluetooth connection, a wired Ethernet connection, and a cellular telephony connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining of the CCS includes applying the UCCP to content-type specific standards.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content-type specific standards are selected from the group consisting of Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) standards, TV Parental Guidelines, and Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) standards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of the UCCP comprises generating the UCCP based on an age of the user as indicated in the user profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of the UCCP comprises generating the UCCP based on an adjusted user age, wherein the adjusted user age is computed based on an actual age of the user as indicated in the profile adjusted by an administrator provided age delta.

10. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions, stored on a computer readable medium, for controlling access to electronic content across a plurality of devices, the instructions comprising instructions for:

creating a user profile associated with a user based on profile input from at least one of the user or an administrator;

generating a universal content control profile (UCCP) based on the user profile;

storing at least one of the user profile and the UCCP to a computer readable storage medium;

determining, based on the UCCP and a device-type of a selected electronic device, a content control setting (CCS) for the selected electronic device; and

responsive to detecting a communication channel with the selected electronic device, providing the CCS to the selected electronic device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions for:

generating a password associated with the CCS; and

providing the password to the selected electronic device.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said instructions for providing the CCS is responsive to a detecting a communication connection selected from the group consisting of:

an 802.11-type (WiFi) connection, a Bluetooth connection, a wired Ethernet connection, and a cellular telephony connection.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said instructions for determining of the CCS includes instructions for applying the UCCP to content-type specific standards.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the content-type specific standards are selected from the group consisting of Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) standards, TV Parental Guidelines, and Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) standards.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said instructions for generating of the UCCP comprises instructions for generating the UCCP based on an age of the user as indicated in the user profile.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said instructions for generating of the UCCP comprises instructions for generating the UCCP based on an adjusted user age, wherein the adjusted user age is computed based on an actual age of the user as indicated in the profile adjusted by an administrator provided age delta.

17. A processing system including processor and computer readable storage, accessible to the processor, the computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for controlling access to electronic content, the instructions comprising instructions for:

creating a user profile associated with a user based on profile input from at least one of the user or an administrator;

generating a universal content control profile (UCCP) based on the user profile;

storing at least one of the user profile and the UCCP to a computer readable storage medium;

determining, based on the UCCP and a device-type of a selected electronic device, a content control setting (CCS) for the selected electronic device; and

responsive to detecting a communication channel with the selected electronic device, providing the CCS to the selected electronic device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising instructions for:

generating, by a set top box, a user profile interface enabling the profile input; and

displaying the user profile interface on a display device connected to the set top box.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said instructions for providing the CCS is responsive to a detecting a communication connection selected from the group consisting of:

an 802.11-type (WiFi) connection, a Bluetooth connection, a wired Ethernet connection, and a cellular telephony connection.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said instructions for determining of the CCS includes instructions for applying the UCCP to content-type specific standards.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the content-type specific standards are selected from the group consisting of Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) standards, TV Parental Guidelines, and Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) standards.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said instructions for generating of the UCCP comprises instructions for generating the UCCP based on an age of the user as indicated in the user profile.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said instructions for generating of the UCCP comprises instructions for generating the UCCP based on an adjusted user age, wherein the adjusted user age is computed based on an actual age of the user as indicated in the profile adjusted by an administrator provided age delta.