PARENTAL CONTROL SETTINGS BASED ON BODY DIMENSIONS

• US 20110237324A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kornblum, Aaron, Vialle, Gaelle, Clavin, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,523,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/178 estimating age from face image; using age information for improving recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

In a motion capture system having a depth camera, access to an electronic media device such as personal computer or a game console with Internet connectivity is controlled. The age group of a person in a field of view of the camera can be determined based on metrics of a 3-D body model. The metrics can relate to, e.g., a relative size of a head of the body, a ratio of arm length to body height, a ratio of body height to head height, and/or a ratio of head width to shoulder width. The metrics are particularly indicative of age group. Based on the age group, a profile of the user is automatically updated with various parental control settings which control access to the electronic media device. Also, currently output content can be replaced by substitute content when a person in a lower age group enters the field of view.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for controlling access to an electronic media device, comprising the processor-implemented steps of:

tracking a body of a person in a field of view of a camera, including determining a model of the body;

determining at least one metric of the body, based on the model;

estimating an age group of the person based on the at least one metric; and

based on the estimated age group, updating a profile of the user at the electronic media device with one or more parental control settings.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the profile includes attributes other than parental control settings for configuring the user'"'"'s interactions with the electronic media device.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the model is a 3-D skeletal model.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one metric of the body comprises a relative size of a head of the body.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one metric of the body comprises a ratio of arm length to body height.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one metric of the body comprises a ratio of body height to head height.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one metric of the body comprises a ratio of head width to shoulder width.

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings control access to a capability of the electronic media device to access an online multiplayer game.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings control whether the electronic media device hides content in an on-screen menu, so that a listing for content which the user is restricted from accessing does not appear in the on-screen menu.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings control at least one of;

(a) whether a gamer profile of the user can be shared via a network with another, remote user, and (b) whether the user can access a gamer profile of another, remote user via a network.

11. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings indicate whether;

(a) the user can engage in a video, voice and/or text chat with another, remote user without restrictions, (b) the user can engage in a video, voice and/or text chat with another, remote user, if the another, remote user is a previously-identified friend according to the user'"'"'s profile, or (c) the user cannot engage in a video, voice and/or text chat with the another, remote user.

12. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings separately control access to;

(a) a capability of the electronic media device for accessing content via a network for a fee, and (b) a capability of the electronic media device for accessing content via a network without a fee.

13. Tangible computer readable storage having computer readable software embodied thereon for programming at least one processor to perform a method for controlling access to an electronic media device, the method comprising:

tracking a body of a person which enters a field of view of a camera, including determining a model of the body;

determining at least one metric of the body, based on the model;

estimating an age group of the person based on the at least one metric;

determining that restricted audio and/or video content which is currently presented is incompatible with the estimated age group; and

in response to the determining that the restricted audio and/or video content is incompatible with the estimated age group, presenting substitute audio and/or video content which is compatible with the estimated age group, in place of the restricted audio and/or video content.

14. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 13, wherein:

the substitute audio and/or video content is selected as content with a highest rating level from among multiple rating levels which are appropriate for the estimated age group.

15. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 13, wherein the method performed further comprises:

pausing presenting of the restricted audio and/or video content at a particular point in the restricted audio and/or video content, when presenting the substitute audio and/or video content;

tracking the body of the person exiting the field of view of the camera; and

in response to the tracking the body of the person exiting the field of view of the camera, resuming presenting of the restricted audio and/or video content at the particular point in the restricted audio and/or video content.

16. The tangible computer readable storage of claim 13, wherein:

the resuming presenting of the restricted audio and/or video content at the particular point in the restricted audio and/or video content occurs after a specified wait period of at least several seconds after the tracking the body of the person exiting the field of view of the camera.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings control access to a capability of the electronic media device for purchasing content to be download to the electronic media device.

17. A system for controlling access to an electronic media device, comprising:

a depth camera system having a field of view;

a display; and

one or more processors in communication with the depth camera system and the display, the processor executes instructions to track user movement and to provide a signal to the display to display images;

wherein the depth camera system and the one or more processors;

to track the body in the field of view, determine a model of the body;

determine at least one metric of the body, based on the model;

estimate an age group of the person based on the at least one metric; and

based on the estimated age group, update a profile of the user at the electronic media device with one or more parental control settings.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings control whether at least one of;

(a) an online status of the user and (b) an identity of friends of the user, can be shared via a network with another, remote user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more parental control settings control access to a capability of the electronic media device for presenting to the user, a friend request which is received via a network from another, remote user.