Rating-dependent parental lock-out for television reception
First Claim
1. A method of selectively inhibiting television receiving apparatus from displaying those television programs which satisfy predetermined content ratings criteria, comprising the steps of:
- storing television program information associated with television programs that are receivable by said television receiving apparatus during a selected time interval, the information associated with a respective television program including channel data representing the channel on which that program is received, title data representing the title of that program and rating data representing the content of that program;
storing a rating code representing the content ratings criteria of programs which a viewer wishes to inhibit from being displayed;
selecting a channel to display the television program that is received on the selected channel;
comparing the rating data associated with said television program that is received on said selected channel with said stored rating code to determine if said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria;
inhibiting said television receiving apparatus from displaying said television program if it is determined that said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria;
generating a list of television program information associated with those television programs currently receivable on other channels which do not satisfy said predetermined content ratings criteria; and
automatically displaying said generated list of television program information if it is determined that said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for selectively inhibiting television receiving apparatus from displaying those television programs which satisfy predetermined content ratings criteria. Television program information associated with television programs that are receivable by the television receiving apparatus during a selected time interval, such as channel data representing the channels on which the television programs are received and rating data representing the contents of those programs, is stored. A rating code representing the content ratings criteria of those programs which a viewer wishes to inhibit from being displayed also is stored. When a desired channel is selected by the viewer, the stored rating data associated with that channel is compared with the rating code to determine if the television program transmitted on that channel satisfies the predetermined content ratings criteria. If so, the channel on which that television program is transmitted is blocked and the stored television program information associated with those television programs having rating data which do not satisfy the predetermined content ratings criteria then are displayed to permit the viewer to select an acceptable television program.
278 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of selectively inhibiting television receiving apparatus from displaying those television programs which satisfy predetermined content ratings criteria, comprising the steps of:
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storing television program information associated with television programs that are receivable by said television receiving apparatus during a selected time interval, the information associated with a respective television program including channel data representing the channel on which that program is received, title data representing the title of that program and rating data representing the content of that program; storing a rating code representing the content ratings criteria of programs which a viewer wishes to inhibit from being displayed; selecting a channel to display the television program that is received on the selected channel; comparing the rating data associated with said television program that is received on said selected channel with said stored rating code to determine if said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria; inhibiting said television receiving apparatus from displaying said television program if it is determined that said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria; generating a list of television program information associated with those television programs currently receivable on other channels which do not satisfy said predetermined content ratings criteria; and automatically displaying said generated list of television program information if it is determined that said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for selectively inhibiting television receiving apparatus from displaying those television programs which satisfy predetermined content ratings criteria, comprising:
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a memory for storing television program information associated with television programs that are receivable by said television receiving device during a selected time interval, the information associated with a respective television program including channel data representing the channel on which that program is received, title data representing the title of that program and rating data representing the content of that program; means for storing a rating code representing the content ratings criteria of programs which a viewer wishes to inhibit from being displayed; means for selecting a channel to display the television program that is received on the selected channel; means for comparing the rating data associated with said television program that is received on said selected channel with said stored rating code to determine if said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria; means for inhibiting said television receiving apparatus from displaying said television program if it is determined that said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria; means for generating a list of television program information associated with those television programs currently receivable on other channels which do not satisfy said predetermined content rating criteria; and means for automatically displaying said generated list of television program information if it is determined that said television program satisfies said predetermined content ratings criteria. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification