Video viewing supervision system

• US 6,025,869 A
• Filed: 08/20/1996
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: U.S. Music Corporation (DCC PLC)
• Original Assignee: U.S. Music Corporation (DCC PLC)
• Inventors: Brian, James M., Stas, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/700,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 380/20, 348/9, 348/5.5, 348/569, 348/570, 348/716, 348/734, 348/725, 348/906
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A TV/video viewing supervision system that enables a supervisor, typically a parent controlling children'"'"'s viewing, to selectably program the hours, programs and/or channels of television, VCR, cable TV, satellite TV and/or game viewing that are allowed and/or blocked from viewing by comparing the signal source identification code embedded in the video signal with a programmed list of channels to be blocked. The system features a channel/time matrix that can be programmed with a keypad-controlled cursor of a hand-held remote unit to set up a viewing schedule for future time period, for example a coming week.

Claims

1. A TV/video supervision system for enabling an authorized user to control viewing of programs carried by video signals of multiple video signal sources, each video signal including channel identification data transmitted during a blanking interval of said video signal, said TV/video viewing supervision system comprising:

an input device for associating said channel identification data with selected viewing times; and

a controller unit, receiving commands from said input device, said controller unit comprising;

a television tuner for receiving a video signal, including a circuit for extracting said channel identification data from said video signal;

an output port, coupled to said television tuner, for routing said video signal received at said tuner to a display; and

a microprocessor comparing, during each of said selected viewing times, said extracted channel identification data of said video signal with channel identification data associated with that selected viewing time and disabling said output port for the duration of that selected viewing time when said extracted channel identification data matches one of said channel identification data associated with said selected viewing time.

2. A method for implementing a TV/video viewing supervision system for enabling an authorized user to control viewing programs carried by video signals of multiple video signal sources, each video signal including channel identification data transmitted during a blanking interval of said video signal, said method comprising:

using an input device for associating said channel identification data with selected viewing times;

receiving a video signal and extracting channel identification data from said received video signal;

comparing, during each of said selected viewing times, said extracted channel identification data with channel identification data associated with that selected viewing time and disabling output of said video signal to a display for the duration of that selected viewing time when said extracted channel identification data matches channel identification data associated with that selected viewing time.

3. A graphical interface in a system for parental supervision of television viewing, said system including an input device for entering parental supervision commands into said system, said parental supervision commands including a channel block command which prevents access to a specified channel for a specified time duration, said graphical interface comprising:

a controller receiving said commands from said input device; and

a graphical image generator providing a graphical image displayable on a television screen, said graphical image including a plurality of cells, each cell corresponding to a time and a channel, and including an identifier in each of said cells to which said channel block command has been associated, said identifier indicating the corresponding channel being blocked during said corresponding time.

4. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 3, wherein said identifier comprises a color.

5. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 3, wherein said identifier comprises shading.

6. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 3, wherein said identifier comprises a pattern.

7. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 3, wherein said identifier comprises an alpha-numeric character.

8. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 3, wherein said system includes a television tuning circuit for receiving a video signal in a specified channel, said system further comprises an output circuit for providing said video signal to a television set.

9. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 8 wherein said controller disables, during said corresponding time, said output circuit from providing the video signal of said channel block command.

10. A graphical interface in accordance with claim 3, wherein said plurality of cells in said graphical image are organized as a two-dimensional matrix.