REMOTE CONTROL WITH CONTENT MANAGEMENT

• US 20090059090A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, James, Lam, Jennifer K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A remote control unit includes stored user profiles to facilitate and possibly limit access to media content. In some embodiments, a biometric sensor or smart card reader provides user authentication to access stored user profiles. User profiles are associated with content sets that include content selected for potential viewing by the user. The remote control unit is enabled for bidirectional communication with a set-top box or modem that permits access to media content from a bidirectional service provider network.

Claims

1. A remote control unit comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter for outgoing communication with a modem;

a memory for storing a plurality of profiles, each of the plurality of profiles corresponding to a content set;

a program mode stored in the memory for editing the plurality of profiles;

an authorization mode stored in the memory for setting a current content set as one of the plurality of content sets corresponding to the plurality of profiles;

a default mode stored in the memory for prompting the modem to display a first predetermined content set; and

an operation mode stored in the memory for requesting first content from the modem, the first content allowed by the current content set.

2. The remote control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver for incoming communication with the modem.

3. The remote control unit of claim 2, wherein the modem is for bidirectional communication in a network.

4. The remote control unit of claim 3, wherein the network is for providing IPTV content.

5. The remote control unit of claim 4, further comprising:

a biometric sensor for associating a present user of the remote control unit with one or more of the plurality of profiles.

6. The remote control unit of claim 5, wherein a portion of the plurality of profiles includes fingerprint data.

7. The remote control unit of claim 5, wherein the remote control unit and the modem are each enabled to synchronize with each other a portion of the plurality of profiles.

8. The remote control unit of claim 4, further comprising:

an input for receiving data from a smart card, the smart card including profile data.

9. The remote control unit of claim 3, wherein the network includes an IPTV platform unit for providing the modem with IPTV content, wherein the IPTV platform unit communicates with a content management system for controlling access to the IPTV content.

10. The remote control unit of claim 3, wherein the modem is for providing video service, voice service, and data service.

11. A system for managing access to media content received from a bidirectional network, the system comprising:

a remote control unit for communicating in a bidirectional manner with a set-top box, the set-top box for receiving a plurality of packets from the bidirectional network;

a plurality of user profiles stored in a memory, wherein each of the plurality of user profiles is associated with a content set, wherein each content set is configured to permit receiving a corresponding portion of the plurality of packets;

an authentication mode stored in the memory, the authentication mode for determining which of the plurality of content sets should be a current content set;

an administrator profile stored in the memory, a user of the administrator profile having authority to edit each of the plurality of user profiles and having authority to edit each content set;

a program mode stored in the memory, the program mode for programming a first user profile and a first content set associated with a first user; and

a default profile stored in the memory, the default profile for allowing the first user access to a first predetermined content set.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory is in the remote control unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of user profiles are replicated in the set-top box unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the bidirectional network includes an IPTV module in communication with a content management system.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a storefront module for verifying the first user'"'"'s payment status.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the storefront module interacts with a content management system to present a content list to the set-top box.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the storefront module verifies available bandwidth for sending the packets to the set-top box.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a content management system for directing an IPTV module to grant digital management rights to the set-top box.

19. A method of accessing IPTV content in a bidirectional service provider network, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of user profiles on a remote control unit, each stored user profile associated with a corresponding content set;

determining whether a current user of the remote control unit has a stored profile;

if the user has a stored profile, accessing the current user'"'"'s corresponding content set and providing the user IPTV content based on the current user'"'"'s corresponding content set; and

if the user does not have a stored profile, accessing a default content set and providing the user IPTV content based on the default content set.