Parental control in a networked environment

• US 10,797,876 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slemmer, John B., Olsson, Stefan, Kreiner, Barrett, Jarboe, Andre, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US16/115,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/028 using expert systems only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products control presentation of media content within a networked environment of multiple devices. Interaction rules are used to determine which ones of the devices interact with each other. Further rules may define what media content is playable by each one of the devices in the networked environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a parent'"'"'s device, a content information describing an electronic content approved for a playback by a different device;

comparing, by the parent'"'"'s device, the content information to a parental control;

determining, by the parent'"'"'s device, that the content information is impermissible based on the comparing of the content information to the parental control; and

in response to the content information being impermissible, sending, from the parent'"'"'s device, a stop instruction to the different device to stop the playback of the electronic content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising addressing the stop instruction to the different device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising addressing the stop instruction to an address associated with the different device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly sending the stop instruction to the different device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the stop instruction to the different device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the parental control.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the electronic content is environmentally impermissible.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a content information sent from a child'"'"'s device, the content information describing an electronic content locally approved for a playback by the child'"'"'s device;

comparing the content information to a parental control;

determining that the electronic content is impermissible based on the comparing of the content information to the parental control; and

sending a stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device to stop the playback of the locally approved electronic content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise addressing the stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise addressing the stop instruction to an address associated with the child'"'"'s device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise wirelessly sending the stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the parental control.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the electronic content is environmentally impermissible.

15. A memory device storing code that when executed causes a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a content information from a child'"'"'s device, the content information describing an electronic content that was locally approved by the child'"'"'s device for a playback by the child'"'"'s device;

comparing the content information to a parental control;

determining that the electronic content is impermissible based on the comparing of the content information to the parental control; and

sending a stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device, the stop instruction instructing the child'"'"'s device to stop the playback of the electronic content despite being locally approved by the child'"'"'s device.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise addressing the stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise addressing the stop instruction to an address associated with the child'"'"'s device.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise wirelessly sending the stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the stop instruction to the child'"'"'s device.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the parental control.