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Television viewing control device

  • US 4,348,696 A
  • Filed: 09/08/1980
  • Issued: 09/07/1982
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1980
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A television viewing control device for recording the viewing time of a plurality of viewers watching a controlled television set, and turning said set off when a predetermined viewing time limit of any one of said viewers is exceeded, said control device comprising:

  • (a) a memory circuit means having the capacity for semipermanently storing an assigned individual password for each of said viewers and a predetermined viewing time associated with each of said passwords;

    (b) control means for turning said controlled television set on and off;

    (c) processing means including;

    (1) data storage means having the capacity for temporarily storing the individual password of each of said viewers watching said controlled set, and(2) polling means operated at predetermined intervals of time to compare the passwords in said data storage means and said memory circuit means and to subtract a period of time equal to said predetermined interval from the viewing time associated with each of said passwords in said data storage means;

    (d) a first means to actuate said control means to turn said television set off when any one of said time limits associated with said passwords reaches zero;

    (e) programming means for supplying said assigned passwords and said associated time limits to said memory circuit means,(f) input means for use by each of said viewers to feed their assigned password to said data storage means when said viewers desire to view said television set;

    (g) a programmed memory means to direct the operation of said polling means in response to the input of one of said passwords to said data storage means;

    (h) a second means to actuate said control means to turn said controlled set to an on condition in response to the input of at least one of said passwords to said data storage means; and

    (i) clock means for providing internal timing for said polling means.

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