Viewing limit apparatus, viewing limit system, and viewing limit program

• US 7,647,607 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Unemura, Toyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Andramuno; Franklin S
• Application Number:
  US10/481,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,742 Days
• Field of Search: 725/28, 725/39, 725/110, 725/114
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/80 characterised in that motion picture association of America [MPAA] ratings are used
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• 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 21/4755 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 5/782 on tape
• 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

First rating information, together with a television broadcasting signal, is transmitted, and second rating information, together with electronic program guide information, is transmitted. A controller extracts the first rating information from video data decoded by a video decoder, and extracts the second rating information from EPG data decoded by an EPG processor. At the time of reserving a program, it is judged whether or not the program can be reserved by restricting viewing on the basis of the second rating information, and the result of the judgment is displayed on a program reservation setting guide.

Claims

1. A viewing restricting apparatus, comprising:

a receiver that receives a television broadcasting signal that includes first rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing, and receives electronic program guide information that includes second rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing;

a program outputter that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver; and

a controller that restricts the output of the program from said program outputter, wherein

said controller has

a first information extractor that extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver,

a first output restrictor that restricts the output of the program by said program outputter on the basis of the first rating information extracted by said first information extractor,

a second information extractor that extracts the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by said receiver,

a second output restrictor that restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information extracted by said second information extractor, and

said controller restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information before the television broadcasting signal is received by the receiver, and then, when a receiving channel of the receiver is switched to receive the television broadcasting signal of the program, extracts the first rating information and restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

2. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rating setter that sets the rating of the program whose viewing should be restricted,

said controller restricting the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the rating set by said rating setter.

3. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said program outputter comprises:

a video display for displaying a video; and

a video signal processor that extracts a video signal from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, and displays the video of the program on said video display.

4. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said program outputter comprises

an audio outputter for outputting audio;

and

an audio signal processor that extracts an audio signal from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, and outputs the audio of the program from said audio outputter.

5. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information holder that holds the electronic program guide information received by said receiver; and

an electronic program guide display for displaying an electronic program guide on the basis of the electronic program guide information held by said information holder.

6. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controller has a program reserver that reserves the output of the program from said program outputter, and a reservation restrictor that restricts the reservation of the program by said program reserver on the basis of the second rating information extracted from the electronic program guide information.

7. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a reservation possibility/impossibility presenter that presents the possibility/impossibility of the reservation by said reservation restrictor.

8. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording reservation commander that commands a recorder to reserve the recording of the video or the audio of the program,

said controller having a recording reservation restrictor that restricts the command to reserve the recording by said recording reservation commander on the basis of the second rating information extracted from the electronic program guide information.

9. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a recording reservation possibility/impossibility presenter that presents the possibility/impossibility of the command to reserve the recording by said recording reservation restrictor.

10. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second rating information has the same data structure as that of said first rating information.

11. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first information extractor, said first output restrictor, said second information extractor and said second output restrictor are realized by common software.

12. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second rating information is encoded in the electronic program guide information and transmitted.

13. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a channel switcher that switches a receiving channel by said receiver,

said controller extracting the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by said receiver in response to the switching of the channel by said channel switcher, and restricting the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

14. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external input terminal that receives an external signal; and

an input switcher that switches input of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver and input of the external signal from said external input terminal, to feed the television broadcasting signal or the external signal to said program outputter,

said controller extracting the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by said receiver in response to the switching from the input of the external signal to the input of the television broadcasting signal by said input switcher, and restricting the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

15. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

said controller restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information extracted when the input is switched by said input switcher, and then extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver to restrict the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

16. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said channel switcher has an alternately switching function for alternately switching for each operation of a predetermined key a channel currently selected and a channel selected immediately before the operation of the predetermined key, and

said controller extracts the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by said receiver in response to the switching of the channel by the alternately switching function of said channel switcher, and restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted second rating information.

17. The viewing restricting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

said controller restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information extracted when the channel is switched by the alternately switching function of said channel switcher, and then extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver to restrict the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

18. A viewing restricting system, comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a television broadcasting signal that includes first rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing, and transmits electronic program guide information;

that includes second rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing; and

a first receiver that receives the television broadcasting signal and the electronic program guide information transmitted by said transmitter,

said first receiver comprising;

a second receiver that receives the television broadcasting signal that includes the first rating information transmitted by said transmitter, and receives the electronic program guide information that includes the second rating information transmitted by said transmitter;

a program outputter that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said second receiver; and

a controller that extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said second receiver, extracts the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by said second receiver, and restricts the output of the program from said program outputter,

wherein said controller restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information before the television broadcasting signal is received by the second receiver, and then, when a receiving channel of the second receiver is switched to receive the television broadcasting signal of the program, extracts the first rating information and restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted first rating information.

19. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions for restricting viewing in a television receiver comprising a receiver that receives a television broadcasting with that includes first rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing and receives electronic program guide information that includes second rating information that indicates of level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing, and a program outputter that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, the instructions causing the computer to execute:

extracting the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by the receiver;

extracting the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by the receiver, the electronic program guide information being received prior to a reception of the television broadcasting signal that includes the first rating information; and

restricting the output of the program from the program outputter on the basis of the second rating information before the television broadcasting signal is received by the receiver, and then, when a receiving channel of the receiver is switched to receive the television broadcasting signal of the program, restricting the output of the program from the program outputter on the basis of the extracted first rating information.