PARENTAL CONTROL OF CONTENT VIEWING BY CHILDREN USING A REMOTE SMART PHONE

• US 20160014444A1
• Filed: 03/29/2013
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: MA, Jun, WEI, Zhengdong, YU, Qian Long
• Granted Patent: US 10,986,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box is described including transmitting a state request message by a user to the set top box via a server, receiving a state reply message by the user from the set top box via the server, determining by the user if the user needs to control the set top box responsive to information in the state reply message and transmitting a remote control command to the set top box via the server. Also described are a method and apparatus including recording information of events by the set top box, receiving a state request message via a server, generating a state reply message including the recorded information, transmitting the state reply message via the server, receiving a remote control command via the server and performing an action specified by the remote control command.

Claims

1. A method for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, said method comprising:

transmitting a state request message to said set top box via a content provider server;

receiving a state reply message from said set top box via said content provider server;

determining if there needs to be control of said set top box responsive to information in said state reply message; and

transmitting a remote control command to said set top box via said content provider server.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement including status of said remote control command.

3. A method for providing remote control of content rendered by an addressed set top box, said method comprising:

receiving a state request message for said addressed set top box via a content provider server;

locating said addressed set top box;

forwarding said state request message to said located set top box via said server content provider;

receiving a state reply message from said located set top box via said content provider server;

forwarding said state reply message via said content provider server;

receiving a remote control command for said located set top box via said content provider server; and

forwarding said remote control command to said located set top box via said content provider server.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an acknowledgement of status of completion of said remote control command from said located set top box; and

forwarding said acknowledgement of status of completion of said remote control command.

5. A method for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, said method comprising:

recording information of events by said set top box;

receiving a state request message via a content provider server;

generating a state reply message including said recorded information;

transmitting said state reply message via said content provider server;

receiving a remote control command via said content provider server; and

performing an action specified by said remote control command.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement including status of performance of said action specified by said remote control command via said content provider server.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said recorded information includes event names, channel names, event start times, event end times.

8. A controller module for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, comprising:

means for transmitting a state request message to said set top box via a content provider server;

means for receiving a state reply message from said set top box via said content provider server;

means for determining if there needs to be control of said set top box responsive to information in said state reply message; and

means for transmitting a remote control command to said set top box via said content provider server.

9. The controller module according to claim 8, further comprising means for receiving an acknowledgement including status of said remote control command.

10. A server module for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, comprising:

means for receiving a state request message for a set top box via a server module, said server module being located at a content provider;

means for locating said addressed set top box;

means for forwarding said state request message to said located set top box via said server module;

means for receiving a state reply message from said located set top box via said server module;

means for forwarding said state reply message via said server module;

means for receiving a remote control command for said located set top box via said server module; and

means for forwarding said remote control command to said located set top box via said server module.

11. The server module according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving an acknowledgement of status of completion of said remote control command from said located set top box; and

means for forwarding said acknowledgement of status of completion of said remote control command.

12. A client set top box module for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, comprising:

means for recording information of events by said set top box;

means for receiving a state request message via a content provider server;

means for generating a state reply message including said recorded information;

means for transmitting said state reply message via said content provider server;

means for receiving a remote control command via said content provider server; and

means for performing an action specified by said remote control command.

13. The client set top box module according to claim 12, further comprising means for transmitting an acknowledgement including status of performance of said action specified by said remote control command via said content provider server.

14. The client set top box according to claim 12 wherein said recorded information includes event names, channel names, event start times, event end times.

15. A controller module for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, comprising:

said controller module transmitting a state request message to said set top box via a content provider server;

said controller module receiving a state reply message from said set top box via said content provider server;

said controller module determining if there needs to be control of said set top box responsive to information in said state reply message; and

said controller module transmitting a remote control command to said set top box via said content provider server.

16. The controller module according to claim 15, further comprising said controller module receiving an acknowledgement including status of said remote control command.

17. A server module for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, comprising:

said server module receiving a state request message for a set top box, said server module being located at a content provider;

said server module locating said addressed set top box;

said server module forwarding said state request message to said located set top box;

said server module receiving a state reply message from said located set top box;

said server module forwarding said state reply message;

said server module receiving a remote control command for said located set top box; and

said server module forwarding said remote control command to said located set top box.

18. The server module according to claim 17, further comprising:

said server module receiving an acknowledgement of status of completion of said remote control command from said located set top box; and

said server module forwarding said acknowledgement of status of completion of said remote control command.

19. A client set top box module for providing remote control of content rendered by a set top box, comprising:

said client set top box recording information of events by said set top box;

said client set top box receiving a state request message via a content provider server;

said client set top box generating a state reply message including said recorded information;

said client set top box transmitting said state reply message via said content provider server;

said client set top box receiving a remote control command via said content provider server; and

said client set top box performing an action specified by said remote control command.

20. The client set top box module according to claim 19, further comprising said client set top box transmitting an acknowledgement including status of performance of said action specified by said remote control command via said content provider server.

21. The client set top box according to claim 19, wherein said recorded information includes event names, channel names, event start times, event end times.