Methods and system for controlling access to individual titles

• US 7,954,121 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kamen, Yakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr; Jean D
• Application Number:
  US10/177,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,268 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/30
• 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 device, comprising:

generating a first user interface configured to receive an assignment of two or more allowed access levels to at least one of an administrative user and a non-administrative user authorized to use the device;

generating a second user interface configured to receive a user selection of a title for which access control is to be applied;

generating a third user interface configured to receive a user assignment of an access level to the title; and

implementing a control access scheme that prevents the administrative user and the non-administrative user from viewing any content corresponding to the title unless at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user has been assigned an allowed access level corresponding to the access level assigned to the title.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third user interface enables the access level for the title to be assigned prior to receiving content corresponding to the title at the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content corresponding to the title includes content previously recorded by and stored on the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control access scheme includes:

storing data specifying the two or more allowed access levels assigned to the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user;

storing data specifying the access level assigned to the title;

receiving a user selection of the title to view;

determining an identity of the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user;

determining if the access level assigned to the title corresponds to the two or more allowed assigned levels assigned to the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user, and if so, enabling the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user to view the content corresponding to the title, otherwise denying viewing access to the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third user interface further includes information identifying a first user permitted to access the title and a second user not permitted to access the title based on a currently-selected access level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information defining a new access level.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed perform a method comprising:

generating a first user interface configured to receive an assignment of two or more allowed access levels to at least one of an administrative user and a non-administrative user authorized to use a device;

generating a second user interface configured to receive a user selection of a title for which access control is to be applied;

generating a third user interface configured to receive a user assignment of an access level to the title; and

implementing a control access scheme that prevents the administrative user and the non-administrative user from viewing any content corresponding to the title unless at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user has been assigned an allowed access level corresponding to the access level assigned to the title.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, wherein the device comprises at least one of a personal video recorder (PVR) or digital video recorder (DVR), and the first user interface is displayed on a television connected to the PVR or DVR.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, wherein execution of the instructions implements the control access scheme comprising:

storing data specifying the two or more allowed access levels assigned to the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user;

storing data specifying the access level assigned to the title;

receiving a user selection of the title to view;

determining an identity of the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user;

determining if the access level assigned to the title corresponds to the two or more allowed assigned levels assigned to the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user, and if so, enabling the at least one of the administrative user and the non-administrative user to view the content corresponding to the title, otherwise denying viewing access to the content.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, wherein the third user interface 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.