Viewing restricting method and viewing restricting apparatus

• US 5,751,335 A
• Filed: 02/23/1996
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1995
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/604,792
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 348/5.5, 348/460, 380/20
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and apparatus for securely restricting the viewing of television programs. When a television program has been received along with rating data associated with a rating of the television program; length data associated with a length of the program, a microcomputer determines whether the rating data are higher than a predetermined viewing restricting level. If the rating data have been found higher, a muting circuit mutes the television program until it ends with reference to the television program length data, and the program corresponding to the rating data is outputted from a tuner.

Claims

1. A method for restricting viewing of a program which is transmitted with rating data corresponding to a rating of said program, program length data corresponding to a broadcast length time, and a start time of said program, comprising steps of:

determining whether said rating satisfies a predetermined condition;

calculating an end time of said program from said broadcast length time and said start time; and

muting said program corresponding to said rating until said end time of said program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition.

2. An apparatus for restricting viewing of a program which is transmitted with rating data corresponding to a rating of said program, program length data corresponding to a broadcast length time, and a start time of said program, comprising:

determination means for determining whether said rating satisfies a predetermined condition;

calculating means for calculating an end time of said program from said broadcast length time and said start time;

mute means for muting said program; and

control means for controlling said mute means and said calculating means to mute said program corresponding to said rating until said end time of said program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition.

3. A method for restricting viewing of a program which is transmitted with rating data corresponding to a rating of said program, program length data corresponding to a broadcast length time, and a start time of said program, wherein said program is demodulated and output by an output apparatus that includes a channel map with channel information relating said program to a corresponding channel, comprising steps of:

determining whether said rating satisfies a predetermined condition;

calculating an end time of said program from said broadcast length time and said start time; and

eliminating said channel information relating said program to said corresponding channel with said rating from said channel map until said end time of said program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition.

4. An apparatus for restricting viewing of a program which is transmitted with rating data corresponding to a rating of said program, program length data corresponding to a broadcast length time, and a start time of said program, comprising:

demodulating means for demodulating said program and for obtaining said rating, said broadcast length time, and said start time of said program;

memory means for memorizing a channel map containing channel information relating said program to a corresponding channel;

determination means for determining whether said rating satisfies a predetermined condition;

calculating means for calculating an end time of said program from said broadcast length time and said start time; and

elimination means for eliminating said channel information relating said program to said corresponding channel with said rating from said channel map memorized in said memory means until said end time of said program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition.

5. The apparatus for restricting viewing of a program according to claim 4, further comprising preparing means for preparing a channel index with information for selecting programs on respective channels, wherein said elimination means eliminates said information for selecting said program on its corresponding channel with said rating from said channel index until said end time of said program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition.

6. The apparatus for restricting viewing of a program according to claim 4, wherein said program is transmitted with an electric and program guide, and said elimination means eliminates said channel information relating said program to said corresponding channel with said rating from said electric program guide until said end time of said program when said determination means determines that said rating satisfies said predetermined condition.

7. A method for restricting viewing of a first program which is transmitted with rating data corresponding to a rating of said first program and first identification data for identifying said first program, and a second program which is transmitted with second identification data for identifying said second program, comprising steps of:

determining whether said rating satisfies a predetermined condition;

muting said first program corresponding to said rating when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition; and

memorizing said first identification data of said first program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition, wherein when a subsequently transmitted second identification data is equal to said first identification data, said second program corresponding to said second identification data is muted.

8. An apparatus to restrict viewing of a first program which is transmitted with rating data corresponding to a rating of said first program and first identification data for identifying said first program, and a second program which is transmitted with second identification data for identifying said second program, comprising:

determination means for determining whether said rating satisfies a predetermined condition;

mute means for muting said first program and said second program;

control means for controlling said mute means to mute said first program when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition and for controlling said mute means to mute said second program when said second identification data is equal to said first identification data; and

memory means for memorizing said first identification data of said first program corresponding to said rating when said rating satisfies said predetermined condition, wherein when a subsequently transmitted second identification data is equal to said memorized first identification data, said control means controls said mute means to mute said second program corresponding to said second identification data.