Content rating and control

• US 9,756,395 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kilbourn, Timothy, Chen, Pei-Keng, Marchak, Michael, Conway, David P., Forsyth, Cassandra, Wu, Peisun, Montoy-Wilson, Paul, Mhaskar, Anita
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Tung T
• Application Number:
  US13/423,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 725 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for restricting access to content elements with content ratings. In one method, the content distributor can receive a request from a device to access a set of content elements. The content distributor can then identify at least a content descriptor and a content rating for each content element within the set of content elements, identify a range within the content ratings, and identify content elements with content ratings that are within the range. The content distributor can transmit at least the content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are within the range to the device for display on the device. This permits a device user to access the content elements by content descriptor. In this method, at least some content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are outside of the range are not transmitted to the device.

Claims

1. A method for restricting access to a set of content elements with content ratings by a content distributor, comprising:

receiving a request from a device to access a set of content elements;

identifying at least a content descriptor and a content rating for each content element within the set of content elements, wherein the respective content rating for the particular content element is dependent on, at least in part, an amount and type of information sharing that the particular content element is configured to perform, wherein the information sharing is at least one of the group consisting of;

disclosing an identity of a user, allowing communication between the device user and other device users, and disclosing a location of the device;

identifying a range within the content ratings;

identifying content elements with content ratings that are within the range;

transmitting at least the content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are within the range to the device for display on the device to permit a device user to access the content elements by content descriptor, wherein at least some content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are outside of the range are not transmitted to the device;

receiving a content element with a content rating;

generating an updated content rating for the content element; and

revising the content rating to the updated content rating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content element with the content rating is received from a content provider.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising notifying the content provider if the updated content rating is different from the content rating from the content provider.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising notifying the content provider if the updated content rating is the same as the content rating from the content provider.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising prohibiting the content provider from providing specific content ratings for content elements when information sharing features are present in the content elements.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a range of content ratings comprises receiving a content filter from the device user defining the desired range of content ratings to be displayed by the device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving feedback from the device user on the accuracy of the content rating for a content element accessed by the device, and wherein

generating an updated content rating for the content element is based on the feedback received from the device user.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising notifying the device user if the updated content rating is different from the content rating from the content provider.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising notifying the device user if the updated content rating is the same as the content rating from the content provider.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein notifying the device user includes complying with notification settings created by the device user.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a request to change the content filter from the device user;

authenticating the identity of the device user sending the request to change the content filter; and

changing the range of content ratings.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising permitting the device user to purchase the content elements using the content descriptors transmitted to the device during an initial purchase transaction.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the purchased content elements.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a request from the device to access the stored content elements;

identifying whether the content ratings of the stored content elements have changed from time of purchase; and

notifying the device user of any changes to the content ratings of the stored content elements.

15. A system for restricting access to a set of content elements with content ratings by a content distributor, comprising

a content server in communication with a network, wherein the network is in communication with a device;

the content server including;

a processor for controlling the operations of the content server; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the processor wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive a request from the device to access a set of content elements;

identify at least a content descriptor and a content rating for each content element within the set of content elements, wherein the respective content rating for a particular content element is dependent on, at least in part, an amount and type of information sharing that the particular content element is configured to perform, wherein the information sharing is at least one of the group consisting of;

disclosing an identity of a user, allowing communication between the device user and other device users, and disclosing a location of the device;

identify a range within the content ratings;

identify content elements with content ratings that are within the range;

transmit at least the content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are within the range to the device for display on the device to permit a device user to access the content elements by content descriptor, wherein content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are outside the range are not transmitted to the device;

receive a content element with a content rating;

generate an updated content rating for the content element; and

revise the content rating to the updated content rating.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein

the content element with the content rating is received from a content provider, and further comprising:

notifying the content provider if the updated content rating is different than the content rating from the content provider.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising prohibiting the content provider from providing specific content ratings for content elements when information sharing features are present in the content elements.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving feedback from the device user on the accuracy of the content rating for a content element accessed by the device, and wherein

generating an updated content rating for the content element is based on the feedback received from the device user; and

notifying the device user if the updated content rating is different from the content rating from the content provider.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

permitting the device user to purchase the content elements using the content descriptors transmitted to the device during an initial purchase transaction; and

storing the purchased content elements.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a request from the device to access the stored content elements;

identifying whether the content ratings of the stored content elements have changed from time of purchase; and

notifying the device user of any changes to the content ratings of the stored content elements.

21. A method for a device to restrict access to a set of content elements with content ratings, comprising:

sending a request to a content server to access a set of content elements, wherein the content server;

identifies at least a content descriptor and a content rating for each content element within the set of content elements, wherein the respective content rating for a particular content element is dependent on, at least in part, an amount and type of information sharing that the particular content element is configured to perform, wherein the information sharing is at least one of the group consisting of;

disclosing an identity of a user, allowing communication between the device user and other device users, and disclosing a location of the device;

identifies a range within the content ratings;

identifies content elements with content ratings that are within the range; and

transmits at least the content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are within the range to the device for display on the device;

receiving at least some content descriptors wherein at least some content descriptors for content elements having content ratings that are outside of the range are not received by the device;

rendering the received content descriptors on a display on the device;

accessing at least one content element by content descriptor;

sending feedback to the content server on the accuracy of the content rating for a content element accessed by the device, wherein the content server;

generates an updated content rating for the content element;

revises the content rating to the updated content rating;

sends notification to the device user of the updated content rating; and

receiving notification of the updated content rating.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

purchasing at least one content element using the content descriptor rendered on the display during an initial purchase transaction; and

storing the at least one purchased content element on the device.