Altering locks on programming content

• US 6,785,901 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Yaksick, Jeff, Horiwitz, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/575,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25-31, 725/68, 725/85, 725/100, 725/139-142, 725/151-153, 725/58, 386/1, 386/83
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4755 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for flexible locking and unlocking programming content. Programming content and the content of the programming content is often described by electronic program guide (EPG) data or guide data. Using the guide data, a user is able to create, alter and unlock locks on the programming content. Locking and unlocking the programming content can be based on characteristics of the programming content such as the duration of the programming content, start times of the programming content, end times of the programming content, content descriptors and ratings of the programming content and the like. The ability to create and unlock locks is flexible and can be directed specifically to particular programs within a channel or to specific channels. The ability to create and unlock locks can further be based on user profiles such that the programming content provided to particular users is determined by the user'"'"'s profile. The ability to alter locks on programming content enable a user to determine the programming content that will be accessible in a highly configurable manner.

Claims

1. In a set top box having a graphical user interface including a display, a method of controlling access by a user to programming content, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying guide data on the display to the user, wherein the guide data describes the programming content;

receiving input from the user identifying one or more portions of the programming content to be recorded;

determining if the one or more portions of the programming content identified by the user are locked; and

refraining from displaying a record button on the display to the user if the one or more portions of the programming content are locked.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the set top box, the guide information describing the programming content;

receiving input from the user selecting a portion of the guide information; and

enabling a lock on the portion of the programming content such that the portion of the programing content is locked according to the portion of the guide information selected by the user.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the guide information comprises at least one of:

program title, program start time;

program end time;

program duration;

channel;

rating, and content identifier.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a portion of the guide information further comprises the step of identifying at least one program to be locked.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a portion of the guide information further comprises the step of identifying at least one channel in the programming content to be locked.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a portion of the guide information further comprises the step of identifying at least one rating.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a portion of the guide information further comprises the step of identifying at least one content identifier.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of preventing the locked portion of the programming content from being accessed.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of preventing a user from recording the locked portion of the programming content.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of disabling a reminder associated with the locked portion of the programming content.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

temporarily disabling the lock on the locked portion of the programming content until an occurrence of an event; and

re-enabling the lock on the locked portion of the programming content upon the occurrence of the event.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving input from a supervisor user creating a lock on the programming content;

examining a profile of the user when the user logs on the set top box; and

altering the lock on the programming content based on the profile of the user such that a portion of the programming content is accessible by the user according to the profile of the user.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of creating a lock further comprises the steps of:

displaying guide information to the supervisor user; and

receiving input from the supervisor user selecting a portion of the guide data, wherein the portion of the guide data describes the portion of the programming content.

14. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of altering the lock further comprises the step of unlocking the portion of the programming content.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, where in the step of unlocking the lock further comprises the steps of:

comparing the portion of the guide data with the profile of the user;

disabling the lock for the portion of the programming content where the profile of the user is not contained within the portion of the guide data; and

refraining from disabling the lock for the programming content where the profile of the user is contained within the portion of the guide data.

16. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of altering the lock further comprises the step of locking additional programming content.

17. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the steps of restoring the lock on the programming content on an occurrence of an event.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the event is one of turning off the set top box and logging out of the set top box by client user.

19. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step selecting a portion of the guide data further comprises at least one of the steps of:

identifying at least one program to be locked;

identifying at least one channel in the programming content to be locked;

identifying at least one rating; and

identifying at least one content identifier.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the at least one content identifier comprises at least one of:

violence;

sex;

nudity;

language;

dialogue; and

fantasy violence.

21. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the at least one rating comprises at least one of:

G;

PG;

PG-13;

R;

NC-17;

TV-Y;

TV-Y7;

TV-G;

TV-PG;

TV-14; and

TV-M.

22. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving input from the user identifying a portion of the programming content, wherein the portion of the programming content is locked, and wherein the lock associated with the portion of the programming content is one of a channel lock and a rating lock;

unlocking a channel of the portion of the programming content if the lock is the channel lock;

unlocking a program of the portion of the programming content if the lock is the rating lock; and

enabling the lock upon an occurrence of an event.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of unlocking a channel further comprises the step of unlocking all programs within the channel.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of unlocking a program further comprises the step of refraining from unlocking other programs.

25. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of enabling the lock occurs automatically.

26. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the event is one of turning off the set top box;

logging out of the set top box by the user; and

termination of the unlocked program.

27. For a set top box having a graphical user interface including a display, a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of controlling access by a user to programming content, the method comprising steps of:

displaying guide data on the display to the user, wherein the guide data describes the programming content;

receiving input from the user identifying one or more portions of the programming content to be recorded;

determining if the one or more portions of the programming content identified by the user are locked; and

refraining from displaying a record button on the display to the user if the one or more portions of the programming content are locked.

28. A computer program product as defined in claim 27, the method further comprising steps of:

tuning, at the set top box, to a program of a channel;

if the channel is locked by the lock;

determining if the user is authorized to unlock the lock; and

unlocking the channel until an occurrence of an event; and

if the program is locked by the lock;

determining if the user is authorized to unlock the lock; and

unlocking the program until the occurrence of the event.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein the step of unlocking the channel further comprises the step of unlocking each program of the channel until the occurrence of the event.

30. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein the step of unlocking the program further comprises the step of refraining from unlocking other programs within the programming content.

31. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising the step or restoring the lock on the channel upon the occurrence of the event.

32. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein the event is one of turning off the set top box, logging off the set top box, and termination of the program.

33. A computer program product as defined in claim 27, method further comprising steps of:

receiving, at the set top box, the guide information describing the programming content;

receiving input from the user selecting a portion of the guide information; and

enabling a lock on the portion of the programming content such that the portion of the programming content is locked according to the portion of the guide information selected by the user.

34. A computer program product as defined in claim 27, the method further comprising steps of:

receiving input from a supervisor user creating a lock on the programming content;

examining a profile of the user when the user logs on the set top box; and

altering the lock on the programming content based on the profile of the user such that a portion of the programming content is accessible by the user according to the profile of the user.

35. A computer program product as defined in claim 27, the method further comprising steps of:

receiving input from the user identifying a portion of the programming content, wherein the portion of the programming content is locked, and wherein the lock associated with the portion of the programming content is one of a channel lock and a rating lock;

unlocking a channel of the portion of the programming content if the lock is the channel lock;

unlocking a program of the portion of the programming content if the lock is the rating lock; and

enabling the lock upon an occurrence of an event.