Apparatus, systems and methods for parental control synchronization with mobile media devices

• US 8,635,708 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mahan, William Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanhnga B
• Application Number:
  US13/095,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 725/110, 709/203, 709/208, 709/211
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to enforce parental controls at a mobile media device. An exemplary embodiment establishes a communication link between the mobile media device and a local media device, receives parental control setting information from the local media device at the mobile media device, receives at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event at the mobile media device, compares at the mobile media device the rating information associated with the received at least one media content event with the parental control setting information received from the local media device, and prevents presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing parental controls at a mobile media device, the method comprising:

establishing, at the mobile media device, a communication link between the mobile media device and a local media device;

receiving parental control setting information from the local media device at the mobile media device;

receiving at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event at the mobile media device;

comparing, at the mobile media device, the rating information associated with the received at least one media content event with the parental control setting information received from the local media device; and

preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information,

wherein receiving the parental control setting information occurs in response to establishing the communication link between the mobile media device and the local media device, and

wherein receiving the parental control setting information occurs in response to a change in at least one of the parental control setting information and a parental control key at the local media device when the at least one media content event is being received over the communication link at the mobile media device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the parental control key from the local media device at the mobile media device;

presenting an access challenge at the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information;

receiving an access challenge answer at the mobile media device;

comparing the received access challenge answer with the parental control key received from the local media device;

allowing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the access challenge answer corresponds to the parental control key; and

preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the access challenge answer fails to correspond to the parental control key.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one media content event is received after the communication link between the mobile media device and the local media device is ended, further comprising:

storing the parental control setting information and the parental control key in a memory medium of the mobile media device,

wherein the comparing is based on the stored parental control setting information and the stored parental control key.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the parental control setting information and the parental control key in a memory medium of the mobile media device;

storing the at least one media content event in the memory medium of the mobile media device;

ending the communication link between the mobile media device and the local media device; and

receiving a request to present the stored at least one media content event;

wherein the comparing is based on the stored parental control setting information and the stored parental control key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a user defined parental control key;

presenting a parental control key access challenge;

replacing the parental control key received from the local media device with the user defined parental control key if the access challenge answer corresponds to the parental control key received from the local media device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event comprises:

establishing, at the mobile media device, another communication link between the mobile media device and another local media device; and

receiving the at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event from the other local media device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event comprises:

receiving the at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event from a content device communicatively coupled to the mobile media device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event comprises:

establishing another communication link between the mobile media device and a remote content source; and

receiving the at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event from the remote content source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communication link is establishing a first communication link between a first mobile media device and the local media device, wherein the parental control setting information is first parental control setting information, the method further comprising:

establishing, at the mobile media device, a second communication link between the mobile media device and a second local media device;

receiving second parental control setting information from the second local media device;

comparing the rating information associated with the received at least one media content event with the first parental control setting information and the second parental control setting information; and

preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates either the first parental control setting information or the second parental control setting information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the parental control setting information is first parental control setting information, the method further comprising:

receiving user defined second parental control setting information at the mobile media device;

comparing the rating information associated with the received at least one media content event with the first parental control setting information and the user defined second parental control setting information; and

preventing presentation of the at least one media content event if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates either the first parental control setting information or the user defined second parental control setting information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information comprises:

ending communication of the received media content event.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information comprises:

disabling a display that is presenting the received media content event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information comprises:

scrambling the received media content event.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information comprises:

preventing storage of the received media content event.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing presentation of the at least one media content event by the mobile media device if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information comprises:

preventing communication of the received media content event to another device coupled to the mobile media device.

16. A mobile media device, comprising:

a communication system interface configured to establish a communication link between the mobile media device and a local media device, configured to receive parental control setting information from the local media device, and configured to receive at least one media content event and rating information associated with the received media content event;

a display configured to present a video portion of the at least one media content event; and

a processor system configured to compare the rating information associated with the received at least one media content event with the parental control setting information received from the local media device, and configured to prevent presentation of the at least one media content event if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information,

wherein the parental control setting information is received in response to establishing the communication link between the mobile media device and the local media device, and

wherein the parental control setting information is received in response to a change in at least one of the parental control setting information and a parental control key at the local media device when the at least one media content event is being received at the mobile media device.

17. The mobile media device of claim 16, wherein the communication system interface is further configured to receive the parental control key from the local media device, and further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive an access challenge answer made in response to an access challenge,

wherein the processor system is further configured to present the access challenge on the display if the rating information associated with the received media content event violates the parental control setting information, configured to compare the received access challenge answer with the parental control key received from the local media device, is configured to allow presentation of the at least one media content event on the display if the access challenge answer corresponds to the parental control key, and is configured to prevent presentation of the at least one media content event on the display if the access challenge answer fails to correspond to the parental control key.

18. The mobile media device of claim 17, further comprising:

a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store the parental control key and the parental control setting information received from the local media device.

19. The mobile media device of claim 17, wherein the memory is further configured to store the received at least one media content event, and wherein the processor system is further configured to allow presentation of the stored at least one media content event on the display if the access challenge answer corresponds to the parental control key, and is configured to prevent presentation of the stored at least one media content event on the display if the access challenge answer fails to correspond to the parental control key.

20. A method for enforcing parental controls at a mobile media device that is communicatively coupled to a local media device, the method comprising:

establishing a communication link between the mobile media device and the local media device;

communicating parental control setting information and a parental control key from the local media device to the mobile media device; and

communicating at least one media content event and rating information associated with the communicated media content event from the local media device to the mobile media device,

wherein the parental control setting information and the parental control key are configured to permit the mobile media device to compare the rating information associated with the communicated at least one media content event with the parental control setting information received from the local media device, and is further configured to enable the mobile media device to present an access challenge based on the parental control key if the rating information associated with the communicated media content event violates the parental control setting information,

wherein the communicating occurs in response to establishing the communication link between the mobile media device and the local media device, and

wherein the communicating occurs in response to a change in at least one of the parental control setting information and the parental control key at the local media device when the at least one media content event is being received over the communication link at the mobile media device.