Methods and system for controlling access to individual titles

• US 20030014750A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kamen, Yakov
• Granted Patent: US 7,954,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Methods and system for controlling access to viewable content on an individual title basis. In one embodiment, the method enables a user, such as a parent, to assign passwords to individual titles, thereby preventing unauthorized users, such as children, from viewing content corresponding to a selected title while enabling authorized users to view the content via correct entry of the password. In another embodiment, the method enables an administrative user (e.g., parent) to define allowed access levels and assign the same to various users of the system. The administrative user is also enabled to assign access levels to individual titles. In response to a user selection to view a title, the system identifies the user and determines whether the user is authorized to view the content based on the access level assigned to the title and any allowed access levels assigned to the user. The system includes set-top boxes and the like that may be used to implement the methods.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to individual titles that may be viewed via a set-top box, comprising:

generating a user interface via which a user may select a title for which access control is to be applied;

generating a user interface via which the user may assign a password to the title to be entered to access the title for viewing; and

implementing a control access scheme that requires a user to enter the password assigned to the title prior to enabling the user to view content corresponding to the title.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations of the method are implemented via one of a personal video recorder (PVR) or digital video recorder (DVR), and the user interface is displayed on a television connected to the PVR or DVR.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface enables the password to be defined prior to receiving content corresponding to the title at the set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface enables a user to assign a password to previously-recorded content stored on the set-top box by selecting a title corresponding to that content and invoking a password entry box via which the password may be entered.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein implementation of the control access scheme includes the operations of:

storing data linking the password to the title on the set-top box;

generating a user-interface via which a user may select a title to view;

generating a user-interface that prompts the user to enter a password corresponding to the selected title; and

in response to entry of the password,

determining if the password entered by the user matches the stored password for the title, and if so, enabling the user to view the content corresponding to the title, otherwise denying viewing access to the content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise enabling the user to enter one or more incorrect passwords N times prior to denying viewing access to the content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein only a user who has been assigned administrative user rights may assign passwords to titles, further comprising authenticating a user to verify whether the user has been assigned administrative user rights.

8. A method for controlling access to individual titles that may be viewed via a set-top box, comprising:

generating a user interface via which an administrative user may assign zero or more allowed access levels to the administrative user and/or other users that may use the set-top box;

generating a user interface via which the administrative user may select a title for which access control is to be applied;

generating a user interface via which the administrative user may assign an access level to the title; and

implementing a control access scheme that enables a user to view content corresponding to the title if the user has been has been assigned an allowed access level corresponding to the access level assigned to the title.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface enables the access level for the title to be assigned prior to receiving content corresponding to the title at the set-top box.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface enables a user to assign an access level to previously-recorded content stored on the set-top box by selecting a title corresponding to that content and invoking an access level assignment screen via which the assignment level may be entered or selected.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein implementation of the control access scheme includes the operations of:

storing data specifying the allowed access level(s) assigned to each user;

storing data specifying the access level assigned to the title;

generating a user interface via which a user may select a title to view;

determining an identity of the user;

determining if the title selected by the user has been assigned an access level that corresponds to an allowed assigned level assigned to the user, and if so, enabling the user to view the content corresponding to the title, otherwise denying viewing access to the content.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface that enables the administrative user to assign an access level to the title further includes information identifying at least one of users who are allowed to access the title and users who are denied access to the title based on a currently-selected access level.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling the administrative user to define a new access level in conjunction with assigning an access level to the title.

15. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the instructions are executed by a machine comprising one of a personal video recorder (PVR) or digital video recorder (DVR), and the user interface is displayed on a television connected to the PVR or DVR.

16. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions implements the control access scheme by performing the operations of:

storing data linking the password to the title;

generating a user-interface via which a user may select a title to view;

generating a user-interface that prompts the user to enter a password corresponding to the selected title; and

in response to entry of the password,

determining if the password entered by the user matches the stored password for the title, and if so, enabling the user to view the content corresponding to the title, otherwise denying viewing access to the content.

18. The machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the instructions are executed by a set-top box comprising one of a personal video recorder (PVR) or digital video recorder (DVR), and the user interface is displayed on a television connected to the PVR or DVR.

19. The machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein execution of the instructions implements the control access scheme by performing the operations of:

storing data specifying the allowed access level(s) assigned to each user;

storing data specifying the access level assigned to the title;

generating a user interface via which a user may select a title to view;

determining an identity of the user;

determining if the title selected by the user has been assigned an access level that corresponds to an allowed assigned level assigned to the user, and if so, enabling the user to view the content corresponding to the title, otherwise denying viewing access to the content.

20. The machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the user interface via which the administrative user may assign an access level to the title further includes information identifying at least one of users who are allowed to access the title and users who are denied access to the title based on a currently-selected access level.

14. A machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed perform the operations of:

generating a user interface via which a user may select a title for which access control is to be applied;

generating a user interface via which the user may assign a password to the title to be entered to access the title for viewing; and

implementing a control access scheme that requires a user to enter the password assigned to the title prior to enabling the user to view content corresponding to the title.

17. A machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed perform the operations of:

generating a user interface via which an administrative user may assign zero or more allowed access levels to the administrative user and/or other users that may use a set-top box;

generating a user interface via which the administrative user may select a title for which access control is to be applied;

generating a user interface via which the administrative user may assign an access level to the title; and

implementing a control access scheme that enables a user to view content corresponding to the title if the user has been has been assigned an allowed access level corresponding to the access level assigned to the title.