Systems and methods for personalized feature setup and parental guidance sensing

• US 10,334,303 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chung, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Castro, Alfonso
• Application Number:
  US14/587,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 725133
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6193 involving transmission via a satellite arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session in a satellite broadcast system H04B7/18526
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A user receiving device including a proximity module, a mode module, a profile module and an output module. The proximity module is configured to detect a first mobile device in a proximity of the user receiving device. The mode module is configured to transition the user receiving device to an active mode based on the detection of the first mobile device. The profile module is configured to, subsequent to transitioning to the active mode and based on an identifier of the first mobile device, access a first profile allocated to the first mobile device or a user of the first mobile device. The output module, based on the first profile, is configured to display on a display a guide or content.

Claims

1. A user receiving device comprising:

a proximity circuit configured to detect a first mobile device in a proximity of the user receiving device;

an output circuit generating a profile window on a display associated with the user receiving device, said profile window comprising a plurality of settings for a plurality of profiles, each of the plurality of profiles comprising a profile identifier, at least one profile identifier assigned to a plurality of mobile devices, each profile comprising a security level that corresponds to channels permitted to be displayed by each mobile device, a permitted on time, and a playlist of saved videos and, said plurality of profiles comprising a first profile corresponding to the first mobile device and a second mobile device;

an interruption circuit configured to, based on the detection of the first mobile device or the second mobile device and the first profile, generate an interrupt signal to interrupt a program or video being played out on a display and generate a resume message on the display that provides instructions to resume playing of the program or video over the program or video while the interrupt signal is present; and

a control circuit configured to receive an input signal from a remote control device or a second mobile device,

wherein the interruption circuit is configured to, based on the input signal, no longer generate the interrupt signal or generate a resume signal, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to, if the interrupt signal is no longer generated or based on the resume signal, resume playing the program or video on the display.

2. The user receiving device of claim 1, further comprising an output circuit configured to display the resume message on the display.

3. The user receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a security circuit configured to determine a security level of the second mobile device, wherein:

the interruption circuit is configured to, based on the input signal and the security level of the second mobile device, cease generating the interrupt signal or generate the resume signal.

4. The user receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a security circuit configured to determine a security level of the first mobile device,

wherein the interruption circuit is configured to, based on the security level of the first mobile device, refrain from generating the interrupt signal.

5. The user receiving device of claim 4, further comprising:

a profile circuit configured to determine whether a profile of the first mobile device or a user of the first mobile device has a profile value permitting displaying of the program or video and generating a profile determination signal; and

the interruption circuit configured to refrain from generating the interrupt signal based on the profile determination signal.

6. The user receiving device of claim 1, wherein the interruption circuit is configured to, based on the detection of the first mobile device, record the program or the video.

7. The user receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a security circuit configured to request a passcode to resume play out of the program or video on the display.

8. The user receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a Bluetooth transceiver, wherein the proximity circuit is configured to detect the first mobile device via the Bluetooth transceiver.

9. The user receiving device of claim 1, wherein:

the user receiving device is a set top box; and

the display is a television.

10. A mobile device comprising:

a proximity circuit configured to detect a user receiving device;

a mode circuit configured to transition the mobile device to an active mode based on the detection of the user receiving device;

a profile circuit configured to transmit a first profile to the user receiving device subsequent to transition to the active mode, said first profile comprises a security level corresponding to channels permitted to be displayed by the mobile device, a permitted on time and a playlist of saved videos; and

a control circuit configured to select a program, transmit a selection signal to the user receiving device indicating the selected program, and based on the selected program, receive and display an interaction option signal from the user receiving device,

wherein the interaction option signal indicates that the mobile device is configured to interact with the selected program via the mobile device by displaying an interaction option message on a display associated with the mobile device based on the first profile;

wherein the mobile device communicates a response signal to the user receiving device in response to the interaction option signal, said response signal allowing interaction between the user receiving device and the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein:

the proximity circuit is configured to determine a range of the mobile device from the user receiving device and generate a proximity signal; and

the mode circuit is configured to transition to the active mode based on the proximity signal.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein:

the proximity circuit is configured to determine whether the mobile device is approaching the user receiving device and generate a proximity signal; and

the mode circuit is configured to transition to the active mode based on the proximity signal.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is configured to, while interacting with the selected program, transfer signals between the mobile device and the user receiving device or between the mobile device and a network such that the mobile device is in communication with a content provider.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein:

the user receiving device is a set top box; and

the display is a television.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a first mobile device in a proximity of a user receiving device;

generating a profile window on a display associated with the user receiving device, said profile window comprising a plurality of settings for a plurality of profiles, each of the plurality of profiles comprising a profile identifier, at least one profile identifier assigned to a plurality of mobile devices, each profile comprising a security level that corresponds to channels permitted to be displayed by each mobile device, a permitted on time, a playlist of recorded videos and a preferred channel list, said plurality of profiles comprising a first profile corresponding to the first mobile device, and a second mobile device;

based on the detection of the first mobile device or the second mobile device and the first profile, generating an interrupt signal to interrupt a program or video being played out on a display and generating a resume message over the display that provides instructions to resume playing of the program or video after the program or video while the interrupt signal is present;

receiving an input signal from a remote control device or the second mobile device;

based on the input signal, ceasing to generate the interrupt signal or generating a resume signal; and

if the interrupt signal is no longer generated or based on the resume signal, resuming playing of the program or video on the display.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the resume message on the display.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a security level of the second mobile device; and

based on the input signal and the security level of the second mobile device, ceasing to generate the interrupt signal or generating the resume signal.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a security level of the first mobile device; and

based on the security level of the first mobile device, refraining from generating the interrupt signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether a profile of the first mobile device or a user of the first mobile device has a profile value permitting displaying of the program or video and generating a profile determination signal; and

refraining from generating the interrupt signal based on the profile determination signal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising, based on the detection of the first mobile device, recording the program or the video.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising requesting a passcode to resume play out of the program or video on the display.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the first mobile device is detected via a Bluetooth transceiver.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the user receiving device is a set top box; and

the display is a television.

24. A method comprising:

detecting a user receiving device in proximity to a mobile device;

transitioning the mobile device to an active mode based on the detection of the user receiving device;

transmitting a first profile to the user receiving device subsequent to transitioning to the active mode, said first profile comprises a security level corresponding to channels permitted to be displayed, a permitted on time, a playlist of recorded videos and a preferred channel list;

selecting a program;

transmitting a selection signal to the user receiving device indicating the selected program;

based on the selected program, receiving and displaying an interaction option signal corresponding to an interaction option from the user receiving device, wherein the interaction option signal indicates that the mobile device is configured to interact with the selected program via the mobile device by displaying an interaction option on a display;

communicating a response signal to the user receiving device in response to the interaction option signal, said response signal allowing interaction between the user receiving device and the mobile device associated with the mobile device based on the first profile.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a range of the mobile device from the user receiving device and generate a proximity signal; and

transitioning to the active mode based on the proximity signal.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is approaching the user receiving device and generate a proximity signal; and

transitioning to the active mode based on the proximity signal.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising, while interacting with the selected program, transferring signals between the mobile device and the user receiving device or between the mobile device and a network such that the mobile device is in communication with a content provider.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the user receiving device is a set top box; and

the display is a television.