Method and system for replacing/obscuring titles and descriptions of recorded content

• US 8,191,092 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• 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
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US10/177,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,632 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/28, 725/25
• US Class Current: 725/47
• 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

A method and system for replacing and obscuring titles and/or descriptions pertaining to individual pieces of recorded content. In one embodiment, the method enables a user, such as a parent, to rename titles and replace descriptions for selected pieces of content, thereby obscuring the content information for those pieces of content from other users, such as children. In another embodiment, the method enables an administrative user (e.g., a 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 pieces of content. In response to a user selection to view content information pertaining to recorded content, the system identifies the user and determines whether to display an original title/description or a new title/description based on the allowed access levels assigned to the user and the respective access levels assigned to the pieces of content.

Claims

1. A method for obscuring descriptive information pertaining to recorded content stored on a set-top box, comprising:

generating a first user interface configured to receive a user selection of an original title a user wishes to obscure, the original title corresponding to a piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box;

generating a second user interface configured to receive user input including a new title for replacing the original title of the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box, the new title being determined by the user, wherein the second user interface is configured to only permit users having administrator rights to change the original title of the piece of the recorded content, and wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether the user has administrator rights; and

in response to determining that the user has administrator rights, allowing the user to access the second user interface, otherwise preventing the user from accessing the second user interface;

storing data linking the new title to the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box; and

displaying the new title in place of the original title when displaying content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box;

wherein the content information corresponding to the piece of recorded content stored on the set-top box further includes an original description for the piece of the recorded content, and wherein the second user interface is further configured to receive user input including a new description for replacing the original description corresponding to the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box, the new description being determined by the user, and wherein the new description is configured for display in place of the original description when the content information is subsequently viewed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations of the method are implemented via one of a personal video recorder (PVR) or digital video recorder (DVR), and the first user interface is displayed on a display connected to the PVR or DVR.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a second user interface configured to receive user input including a new title for replacing the original title of the piece of the recorded content includes:

storing a password that must be entered prior to allowing the user to replace the original title of the piece of the recorded content with the new title;

in response to a user request to replace the original title, generating a password entry box configured to receive a user-entered password;

determining if the user-entered password matches the stored password; and

in response to determining that the user-entered password matches the stored password, enabling the user to replace the original title with the new title, otherwise denying the user from replacing the original title.

4. The method Of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning allowed access rights to the user;

assigning required access rights to the piece of the recorded content; and

in response to a request to view the content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content, determining whether the allowed access rights of the user meet the required access rights of the piece of the recorded content; and

in response to determining that the allowed access rights of the user meet the required access rights of the piece of the recorded content, displaying the original title of the piece of the recorded content, otherwise displaying the new title.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising enabling the new title to comprise a hidden title such that the new title is hidden when the piece of the recorded content is associated with required access rights that are not among the allowed access rights of the user.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a third user interface via which an administrative user may assign zero or more allowed access levels to the user;

generating a fourth user interface configured to receive a selection of the piece of the recorded content for application of access control;

generating a fifth user interface configured to receive an assignment of an access level to the piece of the recorded content; and

implementing a control access scheme that enables the user to view the content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content if an allowed access level assigned to the user matches the access level assigned to the piece of recorded content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein implementing the control access scheme includes:

storing data specifying the allowed access level assigned to the user;

storing data specifying the access level assigned to the piece of the recorded content;

in response to a request to view the content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content, identifying the user; and

filtering the content information such that, for the piece of the recorded content, one of the original title and the new title is displayed based on the allowed access level assigned to the user and the access level assigned to the piece of the recorded content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the fifth user interface further includes information identifying at least one of users who are allowed to access original content information of the piece of the recorded content and users who are denied access to the original content information based on the access level assigned to the piece of the recorded content.

9. One or more non-transitory machine readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a set-top box to perform a method for obscuring descriptive information pertaining to recorded content stored thereon comprising:

generating a first user interface configured to receive a user selection of an original title a user wishes to obscure, the original title corresponding to a piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box;

generating a second user interface configured to receive user input including a new title for replacing the original title of the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box, the new title being determined by the user, wherein the second user interface is configured to only permit users having administrator rights to change the original title of the piece of the recorded content, and wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether the user has administrator rights; and

in response to determining that the user has administrator rights, allowing the user to access the second user interface, otherwise preventing the user from accessing the second user interface;

storing data linking the new title to the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box; and

displaying the new title in place of the original title when displaying content information pertaining to the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box;

wherein the content information corresponding to the piece of recorded content stored on the set-top box further includes an original description for the piece of the recorded content, and wherein the second user interface is further configured to receive user input including a new description for replacing the original description corresponding to the piece of the recorded content stored on the set-top box, the new description being determined by the user, and wherein the new description is configured for display in place of the original description when the content information is subsequently viewed.

10. The one or more non-transitory machine readable media of claim 9, wherein the first and second user interfaces are generated by the set-top box.

11. The one or more non-transitory machine readable media of claim 9, wherein the step of generating a second user interface configured to receive user input including a new title for replacing an original title of the piece of the recorded content includes:

storing a password that must be entered prior to allowing the user to replace the original title of the piece of the recorded content with the new title;

in response to a user request to replace the original title, generating a password entry box configured to receive a user-entered password;

determining if the user-entered password matches the stored password; and

in response to determining that the user-entered password matches the stored password, enabling the user to replace the original title with the new title, otherwise denying the user from replacing the original title.

12. The one or more non-transitory machine readable media of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

assigning allowed access rights to the user;

assigning required access rights to the piece of the recorded content; and

in response to a request to view the content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content, determining whether the allowed access rights of the user meet the required access rights of the piece of the recorded content; and

in response to determining that the allowed access rights of the user meet the required access rights of the piece of the recorded content, displaying the original title of the piece of the recorded content, otherwise displaying the new title.

13. The one or more non-transitory machine readable media of claim 12, further comprising instructions for enabling the new title to comprise a hidden title such that the new title is hidden when the piece of the recorded content is associated with required access rights that are not among the allowed access rights of the user.

14. The one or more non-transitory machine readable media of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

generating a third user interface via which an administrative user may assign zero or more allowed access levels to the user;

generating a fourth user interface configured to receive a selection of the piece of the recorded content for application of access control;

generating a fifth user interface configured to receive an assignment of an access level to the piece of the recorded content; and

implementing a control access scheme that enables the user to view the content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content if an allowed access level assigned to the user matches the access level assigned to the piece of the recorded content.

15. The one or more non-transitory machine readable media of claim 14, wherein implementing the control access scheme includes:

storing data specifying the allowed access level assigned to the user;

storing data specifying the access level assigned to the piece of the recorded content;

in response to a request to view the content information corresponding to the piece of the recorded content, identifying the user; and

filtering the content information such that, for the piece of the recorded content, one of the original title and the new title is displayed based on the allowed access level assigned to the user and the access level assigned to the piece of the recorded content.

16. A method comprising:

storing, by a set-top box, a password that must be entered prior to allowing a user to replace at least one of an original title and an original description of a piece of recorded content stored on set-top box;

receiving, by the set-top box, a user request to obscure the at least one of the original title and the original description of a piece of recorded content;

in response to the user request to obscure the at least one of the original title and the original description, generating a password entry box configured to receive a user-entered password;

determining if the user-entered password matches the stored password;

in response to determining that the user-entered password matches the stored password, enabling the user to replace the at least one of the original title and the original description with at least one of a new title and a new description, otherwise denying the user from replacing the at least one of the original title and the original description;

in response to determining that the user-entered password matches the stored password, prompting a user for the at least one of the new title and the new description for the piece of recorded content stored on the set-top box;

receiving, by the set-top box, user input including the at least one of the new title and the new description, the new title and new description corresponding to the recorded content being determined by the user; and

displaying the at least one of the new title and the new description in place of the at least one of the original title and the original description when displaying content information pertaining to the piece of recorded content stored on the set-top box.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to the user request, determining a first access level assigned to the user;

determining whether the first access level assigned to the user meets a second access level assigned to the piece of recorded content; and

allowing the user to replace the at least one of the original title and the original description in response to determining that the first access level meets the second access level, otherwise denying access to replacing the at least one of the original title and the original description.