Patent ID: 7647607

Claim:
A viewing restricting apparatus, comprising: a receiver that receives a television broadcasting signal that includes first rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing, and receives electronic program guide information that includes second rating information that indicates a level of viewing restriction for restricting viewing; a program outputter that outputs a video or an audio of a program on the basis of the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver; and a controller that restricts the output of the program from said program outputter, wherein said controller has a first information extractor that extracts the first rating information from the television broadcasting signal received by said receiver, a first output restrictor that restricts the output of the program by said program outputter on the basis of the first rating information extracted by said first information extractor, a second information extractor that extracts the second rating information from the electronic program guide information received by said receiver, a second output restrictor that restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information extracted by said second information extractor, and said controller restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the second rating information before the television broadcasting signal is received by the receiver, and then, when a receiving channel of the receiver is switched to receive the television broadcasting signal of the program, extracts the first rating information and restricts the output of the program from said program outputter on the basis of the extracted first rating information.