System and method for enabling a remote control to automatically and dynamically set-up a V-chip

• US 7,266,701 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Bordner, Elissa K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLIMACH, PAULA W
• Application Number:
  US09/948,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713184-185, 386/83, 725/52, 380/44, 380/47, 726/20
• US Class Current: 713/185
• 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 21/441 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a remote control to automatically and dynamically set-up a V-chip in a consumer appliance. The remote control is configured with an ID code which ID code is transmittable to the consumer appliance. Within the consumer appliance is stored a plurality of V-chip parameter tables. The consumer appliance is responsive to the ID code transmittable by the remote control to select one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables to be used by the V-chip to determine accessibility to programming.

Claims

1. A system for enabling set-up of a V-chip, comprising:

a remote control comprising a key matrix having a plurality of keys and a device on which is stored an ID code and programming which responds as each of the plurality of keys is activated to transmit a data frame to a consumer appliance which comprises a representation of the ID code read from the device and stored by the programming in a first data field of the data frame and the consumer appliance comprises a memory in which is stored a plurality of V-chip parameter tables for use by the V-chip to determine accessibility to media playable on the consumer appliance and programming for discerning the representation of the ID code in the first data field of the data frame when received from the remote control and for using the representation of the ID code to select one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables to be used by the V-chip.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, where the ID code stored in the device is unique to the remote control when the remote control is used in system comprised of a plurality of remote controls capable of transmitting data frames to the consumer appliance.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control comprises a memory in which is stored a plurality of command codes for commanding operations of the consumer appliance and the programming of the remote control responds as each of the plurality of keys is activated to read at least one of the plurality of command codes from the memory and store the at least one of the plurality of command codes in at least a second data field of the data frame.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the programming of the consumer appliance discerns the at least one command code in the at least one second data field of the data frame when received from the remote control and performs at least one operation indicated by the at least one command code only when allowed by the V-chip when the V-chip is using the one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables selected using the representation of the ID code in the first data field of the data frame.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a memory in which the ID code is stored.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the programming of the remote control provides for allowing a user to set the ID code that is stored in the memory.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a physical address setting device by which the ID code is assigned to the remote control.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, further comprising a key card for use in connection with the physical address setting device to assign the ID code to the remote control.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming of the consumer appliance selects a predetermined one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables to be used by the V-chip in response to the consumer appliance being manually turned on and continues to use the selected one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables until at least such time as the consumer appliance receives the data frame having the ID code from the remote control.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the predetermined one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables is a most restrictive one of the plurality of V-chip parameter tables.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device of the remote control stores a plurality of ID codes of which one ID code is selected for inclusion in the first data field of the data frame.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the programming of the remote control accepts a password to select one ID code from the plurality of ID codes to include in the first data field of the data frame.