V-Chip plus+;in-guide user interface apparatus and method for programmable blocking of television and other viewable programming, such as for parental control of a television receiver

• US 6,701,523 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Index Systems Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hancock, Kenneth, Macrae, Douglas, Ward, Thomas, Hugon, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoye, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US09/398,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/27, 725/28, 725/30, 725/44, 725/45, 725/46
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system for restricting access to television programs comprising an input for accepting cursor movement and selection commands. The system includes a display that depicts a two dimensional matrix composed of rows and columns of tiles, wherein either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to overall program ratings and either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to specific program content indications and depicts highlighting of individual tiles or groups of tiles based on the cursor movement commands. The system further includes means for blocking or allowing viewing of television programs based on the overall program ratings and specific content ratings of the rows and columns corresponding the highlighted tiles when a selection command is entered into the input.

Claims

1. A system for restricting access to television programs comprising:

an input for accepting cursor movement and selection commands;

a display that depicts a two dimensional matrix composed of rows and columns of tiles, wherein either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to overall program ratings and either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to specific program content indications and depicts highlighting of individual tiles or groups of tiles based on the cursor movement commands; and

means for blocking or allowing viewing of television programs based on the overall program ratings and specific content ratings of the rows and columns corresponding to the highlighted tiles when a selection command is entered into the input.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the overall program ratings comprise one or more of group of TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, TV-MA, G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17 and X.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the specific program content indication comprises one or more of the group of L, language, V, violence, MV, mild violence, FV, fantasy violence, BN, brief nudity, N, nudity, S, sexual content, AS, adult situations, D, and suggestive dialog.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the specific program content indication comprises one or more of the group of L, language, V, violence, MV, mild violence, FV, fantasy violence, BN, brief nudity, N. nudity, S, sexual content, AS, adult situations, D, and suggestive dialog.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the display depicts a main blocking menu which allows a user to block or enable viewing of programs globally, or to block or enable viewing of programs by Rating/content codes, Time, Channel, Time Allowance, pay-per-View dollar Allowance and by Grid Selection from an electronic television program schedule grid guide.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the display depicts a menu including lists of users entered in a user A database, and a combination of highlighted individual titles or group of titles of the matrix varying according to user.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the overall program ratings are listed along a column of the matrix, each program rating having rows corresponding to one or more specific program content indications.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein a title corresponding to one of the overall program ratings is activated or deactivated to block or enable a particular program rating.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein a title corresponding to one of specific program content indications is activated or deactivated to block or enable a particular program content indication.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for blocking or allowing viewing comprises a circuitry connected between a television signal input and the display.

11. A method of restricting access to television programs comprising:

inputting cursor movement and selection commands;

displaying a two dimensional matrix composed of rows and columns of tiles, wherein either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to overall program ratings and either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to specific program content indications and depicts highlighting of individual tiles or groups of tiles based on the cursor movement commands; and

blocking or allowing viewing of television programs based on the overall program ratings and specific content ratings of the rows and columns corresponding the highlighted tiles when a selection command is entered into the input.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising activating or deactivating a title corresponding to one of the overall program ratings to block or enable a particular program rating.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising activating or deactivating a title corresponding to one of specific program content indications to block or enable a particular program content indication.