Abstract:
A computer controlled display system for enabling the host of a television set to limit the access of designated viewers to television programs through the television set. There is apparatus enabling a viewer to request the presentation of a selected television program on the television display, apparatus for assigning an identifier to a viewer of the television display and apparatus enabling the host of the television set to limit an identified viewer requesting access to television programs of host-selected content for a host selected time period. The apparatus enabling the host to limit access for a limited time period may be set up to automatically turn the television set off after said limited time period.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to computer controlled television sets and particularly to controlling the access of designated viewers, e.g. children to television program content.  
       BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART  
       [0002]     The present state of television broadcasting and programming has been marked by a technological revolution driven by the convergence of the data processing industry with the consumer electronics industry. This has resulted in the television set viewer having “fingertip” instant access to hundreds of television programs. This of course includes program content wholly unsuitable to children and younger viewers. As a result, there has been a need to provide the owners/hosts of television sets, i.e. parents, with the means to control access to television programs. Fortunately, the technological advances have provided the resources for implementations for controlling such access.  
         [0003]     In order to better appreciate this invention, the background of the television industry, including cable and satellite services, needs to be considered. As the demand for television programming rapidly increased, frequency channels that the Government made available for the presentation of programming by respective television stations also rapidly increased. This led to television service providers that obtained and consolidated the programs transmitted by the respective television stations to be presented to viewers at Government designated frequency channels. The original television stations would transmit at their assigned frequencies either by direct line of sight, cable or through satellites. The television service providers then received the respective program channel signals and consolidated all the data in such transmissions into an integrated data stream representative of an extensive set of television programs being presented on corresponding channels into an unitary data stream that was then compressed and transmitted to the television service provider&#39;s subscribers either via satellite or cable. The viewer could then receive this integrated data stream and extract any “live” or real-time television program through his conventional television frequency channel tuner. The provider system would extract the appropriate television program data directly from the real-time satellite of cable service provider integrated data stream. The extracted program data representing the television program would be displayed on a real-time basis on the television set display. Where the user wished to record a particular television program for future viewing, it would be extracted at its scheduled viewing period from the integrated data stream in the same manner as described, decrypted, decompressed and recorded on disk drives (DVD). Individual programs on their respective channels could still be recorded on a real-time basis by extraction. This, of course, resulted in the current state of the (Digital Video Recorder) DVR or (Personal Video Recorder) PVR industry where the user, with an appropriate PVR, could record dozens of broadcasts and transmitted television programs for future viewing on their television sets.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention enables the owners of television sets to take advantage of the advances in the cable and satellite service provider control technologies, and PVRs to limit viewer access to the otherwise instant access to hundreds of programs resulting from these technologies.  
         [0005]     While the present invention may be most conveniently implemented on PVRs, it will be clear from the following description that any computer controlled television system could be used to run the routines of the invention. In general, the invention relates to a computer controlled display system for enabling the host of a television set to limit the access of designated viewers to television programs through said television set that comprises a combination including a television set display, apparatus enabling a viewer to request the presentation of a selected television program on said television display, apparatus for assigning an identifier to a viewer of said television display and apparatus enabling the host of the television set to limit an identified viewer requesting access to television programs of host-selected content for a host selected time period. The host may be enabled to limit access to sets or categories of television programs of predetermined content, particularly to limit access to each set of a plurality of sets of television programs of predetermined content for a respective limited time period per set. This is particularly effective when the viewer is a child. In such a case, the host may have access to an “out of the box” implementation wherein a provider, such as a television service provider, predetermines the times and contents of the sets of television programs based upon the age of the viewers. In such an arrangement, all the host or parent has to do is enter the age of the child, and the appropriate television content and times will be presented to the identified child. The apparatus enabling the host to limit access for a limited time period may be set up to automatically turn the television set off after said limited time period.  
         [0006]     The system further includes means for prompting a viewer requesting access to television set programs to enter his viewer identifier. This may be a spoken identifier. Finally, with a great many systems in which television programs are transmitted from a television service provider, the television service provider may set up to control all of the limitations of program content and time periods selected by the television set host. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a generalized view of the system of the present invention organized around a DVR serving as the computer controlled system;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of the display screen of a television set illustrating the dialog through which the television set host may be prompted to enter data to be used to limit access to program content and to time periods for selected identified users;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of the display screen of a television set illustrating the dialog through which a potential viewer may enter his identifier, and be shown a list of the remaining programs and times to which the user will have access to the television set;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart describing how the implementation system of the present invention provides for the host of a television set limiting the access of designated viewers to television programs through said television set; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an illustrative run of a process set up in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a generalized view of a system of the present invention as illustratively embodied in a DVR apparatus. While the invention will be described as implemented on a DVR for convenience in illustration, it will be clear the invention may be implemented on any apparatus providing computer control of a television set so that the host control programs of this invention may be operated with the equipment. The receiver  15  at the viewer&#39;s home receives and integrates input from the satellite provider via satellite receptor  14  or cable input from the cable provider. Further, input may be provided from television service provider  31  that may combine and integrate TV programming from a wide variety of sources. The viewer&#39;s system may also still get line of sight antenna input from the local television broadcasts via roof top antenna  19 .  
         [0014]     The apparatus shown connected to receiver  15  may be conveniently housed in a television set top box or in some late systems, the whole DVR apparatus may be integrated within a unitary television set. Satellite receptor antenna  14  receives the integrated data stream that is applied to a standard receiver for integrated broadcast channel input  15 . Similarly, the integrated data stream from cable may be applied through input  16  to receiver  15 .  
         [0015]     The operations involved in the present invention are controlled by a data processing system under the control of a central processing unit  10 , which, in turn, is interconnected to various other components by system bus  12 . An operating system (OS)  22  that runs on processor  10  provides control and is used to coordinate the functions of the various components of the control system. The OS  22  is stored in Random Access Memory (RAM)  11 . The control programs  30  for the functions, including those for limiting access to television programming on television sets of the present invention may be permanently stored in Read Only Memory (ROM)  13  and moved into and out of RAM to perform their respective functions. In the normal operation for real-time television program playing, the integrated incoming data stream, under CPU control, is applied to broadcast channel extractor  17  that extracts the data representative of the television program scheduled for the channel that the user has selected on a tuner (not shown) and applies the extracted data to a conventional television display adapter  28  to be displayed on the user&#39;s television set  29 .  
         [0016]     When the incoming unitary data stream is to be recorded on the DVR, the signal is processed through a disk drive adapter  21  and stored on disk drives  20 . In the conventional operation of a DVR, the television program scheduled for a given channel at a given time is extracted by extractor  17 , and then stored on a disk drive  20  provided on the DVR. This individual program would be recorded and, thus, stored on the disk drive either in response to either advance scheduling by the user for such a recording or a user request to record a real-time presented television program.  
         [0017]     During playback, the viewer, via the control of OS  22 , selects a television program recorded on disk drive  20  that is then applied to display adapter via connector  30  and presented on the TV display  29 . It will be understood that the present invention implementation wherein the TV owner may limit identified user access to predetermined programming over predetermined time periods will be applicable to both such recorded television programs, as well as television programs presented live. The interrupt program of this invention is stored in RAM  11  and is responsive to input from an interrupt timer  27  that tracks the presented programming to insure that the time limitations are enforced. The interrupt feature may be set up to automatically turn the television set off when all of the timed television is completed. This will be described in greater detail with respect to the illustrative television displays of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and the flowcharts of  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
         [0018]     With reference to  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a diagrammatic view of the display screen  41  of a television set illustrating the dialog through which the television set host may be prompted to enter data to be used to limit access to program content and to time periods for selected identified users. The host or owner of the television set is prompted to enter the ID  40  to be used by the restricted user or viewer, e.g. “Timmy”, the owner&#39;s child. The owner is also prompted to enter the total viewing hours permitted per day  42 , and the time period  43  within which viewing is permitted. The owner is also presented with several viewing sets or categories of television programs  44  from which the owner has selected five categories. The owner&#39;s selections are then summarized  45 . The owner is then prompted to allocate hours per selected category or set, and asked if he wished a breakdown of the listing of the programs in each set should he wish to make more specific choices. Since the owner has indicated that he wishes to allocate hours to the categories, he is prompted to allocate his selected hours  46 . Accordingly, such allocation is made  47 .  
         [0019]     Now that the television set owner has set up the limitations, there is shown in  FIG. 3  the television screen  41  presented to the viewer, Timmy, when he turns on the TV. Viewer is prompted for his name  53 , which he may enter by the text on a control pad or the set may permit the viewer to speak his name or ID. Once the viewer is identified, he is prompted  50  to pick a starting program from a presented list  51 . Since the viewer has selected a category, Movies, he is prompted further to select a movie from the category. The selection and viewing continue with appropriate timing that the viewer may interrupt and resume until appropriate owner selected times are completed. At such times, the viewer may be prompted to select another item or category on which times remain. If the total viewing time has expired, the television set may be automatically turned off.  
         [0020]     Now, with reference to the programming shown in  FIG. 4 , there will be described how the system and programs of the present invention are set up. There is provided a basic control system for limiting the time of use of a television set, as well as the television program as defined by the television set owner or host, step  60 . Accordingly, a set up or routine is provided whereby the host may limit access to only programs of preselected content, step  61 . A set up is provided whereby the host may limit access to defined time periods and to defined content during such time periods, step  62 . In the implementation, a dialog television screen is provided to prompt the host to set up identifiers for his permitted users, step  63 . Also, there is provided an additional dialog screen enabling the host to set specific television program categories that identified viewers are permitted to view, as well as the time periods for such viewing,  64 . Then, provision is made for permitting the viewer to enter his ID through text or speech, step  65 . Provision is made for appropriate dialog with the permitted viewer so that the viewer may be offered the permitted categories and programs, step  66 . Finally, provision is made for the timing of the viewer selections and for appropriate termination upon expiration of time, step  67 .  
         [0021]     Now, with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 5 , a simplified illustrative run of the process set up in  FIG. 4  will be described. When the host requests an entry screen, he is presented, step  70 , with a restriction entry dialog screen, e.g.  FIG. 2 . The host then enters his selected programs and categories, step  71 . The host enters permitted time periods, step  72 . The entered times, programs and categories are stored, step  73 . The host then creates IDs for the permitted viewers that are also stored, step  74 .  
         [0022]     The television set control system then awaits a viewer request, step  75 . If Yes, the viewer is prompted for his ID, step  76 . There is a verification, step  75 . If No, the ID entry is rejected, and the process returns to step  75 . If Yes, there is ID verification, the host selections to be offered are retrieved from storage, step  79 , and the dialog offers selected television programs and categories to the viewer, step  80 . A determination is made in step  81  as to whether the viewer has selected a host approved program. If Yes, the television program is presented on screen, step  82 . A timer is usually set for the host selected time periods, step  83 , and then a determination is made continuously as to whether the monitored time has expired, step  84 . If Yes, the television program being presented is terminated, step  85 , and a further determination is made as whether there is any remaining other program and appropriate time, step  86 . If Yes, the process is branched via “A” back to the dialog offering, step  80 . If No, a viewing termination message may be displayed, step  87 , the television set is turned off, step  88 , and the session is exited.  
         [0023]     While the above preferred embodiment illustrates owner selection and control implemented at the level of the individual television program and preferably on a DVR, the invention may be implemented at the level of the television service provider in the case where there is such a service provider providing the television program services to the television set owner. All of the dialogs offered to host on the screen may come directly from such service provider. All of the television times and selected programming may be under the control of the service provider.  
         [0024]     Although certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and intent of the appended claims.