Method and apparatus for managing viewing of media content

• US 10,616,654 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Fix, Jeremy, Kosseifi, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US16/129,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20190014383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4756 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

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, generating parental control information for each of a plurality of users according to options selected from a plurality of media program tags retrieved from a library, detecting a first user of the plurality of users according to biometric information of the first user, identifying the parental control information associated with the first user, tuning to a first media channel responsive to receiving a first request, receiving in the first media channel a first media program tag associated with a first media program, and enabling presentation of the first media program at a presentation device responsive to detecting from the parental control information associated with the first user that the first media program tag is included in a first list of unrestricted media program presentations. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, by a processing system including a processor, a library comprising a plurality of media program tags associated with a plurality of media programs from a plurality of service providers;

detecting, by the processing system, whether each of the plurality of media programs of the library has a missing media program tag or an unrecognized media program tag associated therewith;

generating, by the processing system, a first list of media programs of the library with missing media program tags and a second list of media programs of the library with unrecognized media program tags;

providing, by the processing system, a custom media program tag for a media program of the plurality of media programs having a missing media program tag, the custom media program tag provided by one of generating the custom media program tag at the processing system or selecting the custom media program tag from a list of custom media program tags stored by the processing system;

determining, by the processing system, a rating for the library based on the first list and the second list, the rating being based on occurrence of unrecognized media program tags, the rating to be combined with other subscriber ratings to provide an aggregate rating for the library viewable by future subscribers,

wherein a media program tag associated with a media program of the plurality of media programs includes an identifier of a geographic region, a media channel, a service provider, or a combination thereof;

comparing, by the processing system, respective media program tags of the plurality of media program tags associated with the plurality of media programs and the custom media program tag with at least one of an unrestricted media program list and a restricted media program list; and

based on the comparing, controlling presentation of one or more media programs of the plurality of media programs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the library is a vendor library generated by a vendor, wherein the vendor is distinct from the plurality of service providers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the library is supplied by a service provider of the plurality of service providers, and further comprising transmitting, by the processing system, the rating to equipment of the service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the processing system, the first list and the second list via a graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating is based on a number of instances of unrecognized media program tags associated with the second list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises a first media processor of a first network subscriber, and further comprising combining, by the processing system, the rating with at least one other rating for the library transmitted by a second media processor of a second network subscriber to provide an aggregate rating for the library.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first network subscriber and the second network subscriber are part of a social network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, by the processing system, control information to associate the media program having the custom media program tag with one of a first set of media programs or a second set of media programs, wherein presentation of media programs in the first set of media programs is restricted.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises a media processor, and wherein the custom media program tag is selected from a list of custom media program tags stored at the media processor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom media program tag uniquely identifies the media program.

11. A device comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

presenting a library comprising a plurality of media program tags associated with a plurality of media programs from a plurality of service providers;

detecting whether each of the plurality of media programs of the library has a missing media program tag or an unrecognized media program tag associated therewith;

generating a first list of media programs of the library with missing media program tags and a second list of media programs of the library with unrecognized media program tags;

providing a custom media program tag for a media program of the plurality of media programs having a missing media program tag, the custom media program tag provided by one of generating the custom media program tag at the processing system or selecting the custom media program tag from a list of custom media program tags stored by the processing system;

determining a rating for the library based on the first list and the second list, the rating being based on occurrence of unrecognized media program tags, the rating to be combined with other subscriber ratings to provide an aggregate rating for the library viewable by future subscribers,

wherein a media program tag associated with a media program of the plurality of media programs includes an identifier of a geographic region, a media channel, a service provider, or a combination thereof;

comparing respective media program tags of the plurality of media program tags associated with the plurality of media programs and the custom media program tag with at least one of an unrestricted media program list and a restricted media program list; and

based on the comparing, controlling presentation of one or more media programs of the plurality of media programs.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the rating is based on a number of instances of unrecognized media program tags associated with the second list.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the processing system comprises a first media processor of a first network subscriber, and wherein the operations further comprise combining the rating with at least one other rating for the library transmitted by a second media processor of a second network subscriber to provide an aggregate rating for the library.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise updating control information to associate the media program having the custom media program tag with one of a first set of media programs or a second set of media programs, wherein presentation of media programs in the first set of media programs is restricted.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the processing system comprises a media processor, and wherein the custom media program tag is selected from a list of custom media program tags stored at the media processor.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

presenting a library comprising a plurality of media program tags associated with a plurality of media programs;

detecting whether each of the plurality of media programs of the library has a missing media program tag or an unrecognized media program tag associated therewith;

generating a first list of media programs of the library with missing media program tags and a second list of media programs of the library with unrecognized media program tags;

providing a custom media program tag for a media program of the plurality of media programs having a missing media program tag, the custom media program tag provided by one of generating the custom media program tag at the processing system or selecting the custom media program tag from a list of custom media program tags stored by the processing system;

determining a rating for the library based on the first list and the second list, the rating being based on occurrence of unrecognized media program tags, the rating to be combined with other subscriber ratings to provide an aggregate rating for the library viewable by future subscribers,

wherein a media program tag associated with a media program of the plurality of media programs includes an identifier of a geographic region, a media channel, a service provider, or a combination thereof;

comparing respective media program tags of the plurality of media program tags associated with the plurality of media programs and the custom media program tag with at least one of an unrestricted media program list and a restricted media program list; and

based on the comparing, controlling presentation of one or more media programs of the plurality of media programs.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of media programs is provided by a plurality of service providers.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the rating is based on a number of instances of unrecognized media program tags associated with the second list.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise updating control information to associate the media program having the custom media program tag with one of a first set of media programs or a second set of media programs, wherein presentation of media programs in the first set of media programs is restricted.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the custom media program tag uniquely identifies the media program.