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US RE41,993 E1Granted
Apparatus and method for improved parental control of television use
AssigneeGemstar Development Corporation
InventorsHenry C. Yuen, Roy J. Mankovitz, Daniel S. Kwoh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for parental control of television programs. Program schedule information including program titles are stored in a memory and displayed on a monitor. Compressed code is entered for the programs to be blocked. Alternatively, one or more program titles are selected from the displayed program schedule information for blocking by a parental control circuitry connected to a controller.
Claims73
A system for exercising access control over a television program comprising:
- a memory for storing television program schedule information including program titles for a plurality of television programs;
- a monitor for displaying some of the schedule information including program titles;
- an input device for selecting one of the displayed program titles for viewing a television program represented by the selected program title;
- and
- a parental control circuit for blocking the selected television program from being viewed as a function of the television program schedule information.
2 more elements
A method for controlling access to television programs comprising the steps of:
- displaying television program schedule information including program titles for a plurality of television programs on a monitor;
- marking a program title from the displayed schedule information;
- and
- blocking a television program represented by the marked program title from being displayed on the monitor as a function of the television program schedule information for a selected title.
1 more element
A system for exercising access control over a television program comprising:
- a memory for storing television schedule information including program titles for a plurality of television programs;
- a monitor for displaying some of the schedule information including program titles;
- an input device for selecting one of the displayed program titles for viewing a television program represented by the selected program title;
- and
- a parental control circuit for blocking a plurality of program scenes from the selected television program from being viewed as a function of information retrieved from a television signal.
2 more elements
A method for controlling access to television programs comprising the steps of:
- storing television program schedule information including program titles for a plurality of television programs;
- displaying the television program schedule information including program titles on a monitor;
- selecting a program title from the displayed schedule information;
- and
- blocking a program scene from a television program represented by the selected program title from being displayed on the monitor as a function of the information retrieved from a television signal.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- a television tuner that supplies video signals to a video display;
- and
- a processor configured to block the television tuner from supplying video signals of television programs that meet one or more user selected program content rating criteria to the video display;
- said processor being further configured to allow a user to override the blocking of the video signals of television programs that meet the user selected program content rating criteria until the system is shut off.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a television tuner that supplies video signals to a video display;
- and
- a processor configured to block the television tuner from supplying video signals of television programs that meet one or more of a plurality of user selected program blocking criteria to the video display;
- said processor being further configured to allow a user to override the plurality of user selected blocking criteria from being used to block the display of television programs until the system is shut off.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- one or more memories that store television program schedule information for a plurality of television programs and one or more viewing restrictions;
- a display generator that supplies signals for a display of information for at least one of the television programs from the program schedule information to a video display;
- and
- a processor configured to accept selections of displayed television program information, determine if one or more of the viewing restrictions is met for the selected television program and block the display of the selected television program based on the determination;
- said processor being further configured to allow a user to override the blocking of the display of television programs based on one or more of the viewing restrictions and subsequently allowing the user to restore the blocking of the display of television programs based on the overridden viewing restrictions.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- means for supplying selective video signals to a video display;
- and
- means for blocking the means for supplying from supplying video signals of television programs that meet one or more user selected program content rating criteria to the video display;
- and
- means for overriding the blocking by the means for blocking of the video signals of television programs that meet the user selected program content rating criteria until the system is shut off.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- means for supplying selective video signals to a video display;
- means for blocking the means for supplying from supplying video signals to the video display of television programs that meet one or more of a plurality of user selected program blocking criteria;
- and
- means for overriding the blocking by the means for blocking of the video signal of television programs that meet the plurality of user selected blocking criteria from being used to block the display of television programs until the system is shut off.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- means for storing television program schedule information for a plurality of television programs and one or more viewing restrictions;
- means for generating a display of information for at least one of the television programs from the program schedule information for display on a video display;
- means for accepting selections of displayed television program information, determining if one or more of the viewing restrictions is met for the selected television program and blocking the display of the selected television program based on the determination;
- and
- means for overriding the blocking of the display of television programs based on one or more of the viewing restrictions and subsequently allowing the user to restore the blocking of the display of television programs based on the overridden viewing restrictions.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- supplying selective video signals to a video displays;
- blocking the supplying of video signals to the video display of television programs that meet one or more user selected program content rating criteria;
- overriding the blocking of television programs that meet the user selected program content rating criteria until the shutting off of a system that displays the television programs.
A method comprising:
- supplying selective video signals to a video displays;
- blocking the supplying video signals to the video display of television programs that meet one or more of a plurality of user selected program blocking criteria to the video display;
- and
- overriding the blocking of television programs that meet the plurality of user selected blocking criteria from being used to block the display of television programs until the shutting off of a system that displays the television programs.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- storing television program schedule information for a plurality of television programs and one or more viewing restrictions;
- generating a display of information for at least one of the television programs from the program schedule information for display on a video display;
- accepting selections of displayed television program information, determining if one or more of the viewing restrictions is met for the selected television program and blocking the display of the selected television program based on the determination;
- overriding the blocking of the display of television programs based on one or more of the viewing restrictions and subsequently allowing the user to restore the blocking of the display of television programs based on the overridden viewing restrictions.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.