Ratings control system with temporary override capability

• US 7,950,032 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Lynch, David Johnston
• Primary Examiner(s): Shang; Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US09/475,448
• Time in Patent Office: 4,163 Days
• Field of Search: 725 25- 31, 348/460, 348/515, 348/565, 348/906
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and related apparatus for comprising a video processing system having a ratings control system which blocks or permits viewing of programs which are broadcast with ratings or spending information according to a profile set by a supervisor who has entered a password accepted by the control system, in which supervisor can temporarily modify the profile. After completion of the time period(s) or supervisor-designated television broadcast(s) or programs, the system automatically returns to the normal profile.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a video signal processor for producing an output signal suitable for coupling to a display device to produce a plurality of images for display to at least one viewer;

a supervisor control system operable by a supervisor to create at least one viewer profile identifying images to be blocked from display to said at least one viewer;

said supervisor control system operable by said supervisor to select a specific program having a rating above a set rating for blocking programs applicable to said viewer profile such that said select program is unblocked for the duration of the program while the other of said plurality of images for display are blocked according to said viewer profile, whereby upon completion of said selected specific program, said supervisor control system identifies images to be blocked according to said at least one viewer profile.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said images correspond to programs and said viewer profile identifies programs to be blocked from display to said at least one viewer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said images correspond to channels and wherein said viewer profile identifies channels to be blocked from display to said at least one viewer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said viewer profile identifies at least one time period during which all images are to be blocked from display to said viewer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein an override list is formed including a selection of a plurality of programs having a rating above a set rating for blocking programs applicable to said viewer profile by a user and said override list is applicable to at least one corresponding viewer profile such that at least one image to be blocked according to said viewer profile is unblocked and at least one other image not blocked according to said viewer profile is blocked.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said override list is temporarily applied to at least one viewer profile.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said override list is applied for a period of time specified by said supervisor.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said override list includes at least one override selected from the group comprising:

a) at least one channel blocking override, b) at least one time period blocking override, c) at least one rating blocking override, d) at least one program blocking override, e) at least one spending limit override, f) at least one image content blocking override, g) at least one total view time limit override.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein said at least one override list is applicable to a plurality of viewer profiles.

10. The system of claim 5 further including means to display to a viewer a blocking status based upon said override list.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is operable by said supervisor to create a plurality of override lists applicable to said at least one viewer profile.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said control system is operable by said supervisor to create a plurality of override lists applicable to a plurality of viewer profiles.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said supervisor control system for producing an output signal includes at least one item selected from the group comprising:

television receiver, set top box, video cassette recorder tuner.

14. In a video signal processing system for producing an output signal suitable for coupling to a display device to produce images to be displayed to at least one viewer, a method for blocking viewing by at least one viewer comprising the steps of;

creating a viewer profile identifying images to be blocked for a corresponding viewer;

selecting a program having a rating above a set rating for blocking programs to be applied to said viewer profile so as to allow said corresponding viewer to view said select program for the duration of said program;

monitoring blocking of the other of said images to be displayed according to the viewer profile; and

monitoring blocking of viewing of all images according to the viewer profile upon completion of said selected program.

15. The method of claim 14 including the steps of forming an override list upon selection of a plurality of programs and storing said override list in a memory of said system.

16. The method of claim 15 including a step of specifying a time period for application of said override list to said viewer profile.

17. The method of claim 15 including a step of applying said override list to said viewer profile at the start of said specified time period and stopping application of said override list to said viewer profile after expiration of said specified time period.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein said images comprise programs and said viewer profile identifies programs to be blocked from display to said at least one viewer.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said images comprise channels and wherein said viewer profile identifies channels to be blocked from display to said at least one viewer.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said viewer profile identifies at least one time period during which all images are to be blocked from display to said viewer.