Biometrics based menu privileges

• US 20100192096A1
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Barrett, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US12/320,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192096A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

Automatically displaying differing menu listings from which selection of content is made based upon biometric identification. This may entail obtaining biometric information of a user from a selection device that is associated with a content access device through which access to content items is made. Once the user is identified by the biometric information, a modified menu list from which selection of content items is displayed, with the shown content items being tailored to the identified user. Selection of content items for reproduction by the content access device is then made. Different first and second biometric identification information may be used for a particular user to initially authenticate and identify the user, and then provide navigation among content menu lists according to the second biometric information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically displaying differing menu listings from which selection of content is made, the method comprising:

obtaining biometric information of a user from a selection device that is associated with a content access device through which access to content items is made;

identifying the user based upon the obtained biometric information;

modifying a menu list from which a selection of content items to be accessed is made, the modification of the menu list being specified based upon identification of the user;

displaying the modified menu list and receiving a selection of a content item from the displayed modified menu list; and

providing access to the selected content item through the content access device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected content item is video content.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected content item is audio content.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biometric information is among a plurality of specified biometric information of the user, with a first specified biometric information causing display of a first modified menu list and a second specified biometric information causing display of a second modified menu list that differs from the first modified menu list.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first and second specified biometric information are of different types.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first specified biometric information is fingerprint information and the second specified biometric information is voice.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first modified menu list contains content items of a first content type and the second modified menu list contains content items of a second content type that differs from the first content type.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first content type is video content and the second content type is audio content.

9. A system for automatically displaying differing menu listings from which selection of content is made, the system comprising:

means for obtaining biometric information of a user from a selection device that is associated with a content access device through which access to content items is made;

means for identifying the user based upon the obtained biometric information;

means for modifying a menu list from which a selection of content items to be accessed is made, the modification of the menu list being specified based upon identification of the user;

means for prompting display of the modified menu list and receiving a selection of a content item from the displayed modified menu list; and

means for providing access to the selected content item through the content access device.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the selected content item is video content.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the selected content item is audio content.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the biometric information is among a plurality of specified biometric information of the user, with a first specified biometric information causing display of a first modified menu list and a second specified biometric information causing display of a second modified menu list that differs from the first modified menu list.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first and second specified biometric information are of different types.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first specified biometric information is fingerprint information and the second specified biometric information is voice.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first modified menu list contains content items of a first content type and the second modified menu list contains content items of a second content type that differs from the first content type.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first content type is video content and the second content type is audio content.

17. A computer program product for automatically displaying differing menu listings from which selection of content is made, the computer program product stored on computer readable medium and configured to provide operations comprising:

obtaining biometric information of a user from a selection device that is associated with a content access device through which access to content items is made;

identifying the user based upon the obtained biometric information;

modifying a menu list from which a selection of content items to be accessed is made, the modification of the menu list being specified based upon identification of the user;

displaying the modified menu list and receiving a selection of a content item from the displayed modified menu list; and

providing access to the selected content item through the content access device.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the selected content item is video content.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the selected content item is audio content.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the biometric information is among a plurality of specified biometric information of the user, with a first specified biometric information causing display of a first modified menu list and a second specified biometric information causing display of a second modified menu list that differs from the first modified menu list.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the first and second specified biometric information are of different types.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the first specified biometric information is fingerprint information and the second specified biometric information is voice.

23. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the first modified menu list contains content items of a first content type and the second modified menu list contains content items of a second content type that differs from the first content type.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the first content type is video content and the second content type is audio content.