Enhanced parental control
View Patent ↗A parental control method, including receiving a channel selection command from a user to select from a plurality of channels for playing, each of the channels having a plurality of programming content, performing a parental control procedure prior to allowing playing of the programming content of one of the channels, during at least one specific timeslot, and allowing playing of the programming content prior to performing a parental control procedure for at least one of the following the one channel outside of the at least one specific timeslot, and another one of the channels. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
1. A parental control method, comprising:
receiving a channel selection command from a user to select a channel from a plurality of TV channels, wherein the selected channel has programming content in a plurality of timeslots, including a first timeslot including programming content within a first defined category having a higher need for parental control than the programming content in other of the plurality of timeslots;
receiving a plurality of event information values including an event information code associated with a parental control rating of the programming content of the selected channel for each of the plurality of timeslots;
ascertaining whether the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot or within another timeslot wherein all of the programming content is within one or more defined categories with a lower need for parental control than the programming content within the first defined category, and
(a) if the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot, delaying play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while either (i) checking the event information code for the selected channel in the first timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to a predetermined parameter and, if it does, displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code, or (ii) displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code; and
(b) if the selected channel was selected within the other timeslot, allowing play of the programming content on the selected channel after receipt of the channel selection without a delay to check the event information code for the selected channel in the other timeslot and, after the programming content has started playing, checking the event information code for the selected channel in the other timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to a predetermined parameter and, only if it does, stopping play of the programming content on the selected channel, displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a table, whereby the table includes a list of the plurality of TV channels, the plurality of TV channels being grouped in a plurality of groups, the groups including:
a first group, the channels in the first group not including any programming content having a critical parental control rating; and
at least one other group, the channels in the at least one other group including programming content having the critical parental control rating;
searching the table to determine which of the groups the selected channel is a member of.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one other group includes:
a second group, the channels of the second group having programming content which is synchronized with the event information values; and
a third group, the channels of the third group having programming content which is not synchronized with the event information values.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
if the selected channel is a member of the second group, and the selected channel is selected during the first timeslot, delaying play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while checking the event information code for the selected channel in the first timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to the predetermined parameter and, if it does, displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code; and
if the selected channel is a member of the third group, delay play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, if the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot, delaying play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while checking the event information code for the selected channel in the first timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to the predetermined parameter and, if it does, displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, if the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot, delaying play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code.
7. A decoder device, comprising a processor arrangement operative to:
receive a channel selection command from a user to select a channel from a plurality of TV channels, wherein the selected channel has programming content in a plurality of timeslots, including a first timeslot including programming content within a first defined category having a higher need for parental control than the programming content in other of the plurality of timeslots;
receive a plurality of event information values including an event information code associated with a parental control rating of the programming content of the selected channel for each of the plurality of timeslots;
ascertain whether the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot or within another timeslot wherein all of the programming content is within one or more defined categories with a lower need for parental control than the programming content within the first defined category, and
(a) if the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot, delay play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while either (i) checking the event information code for the selected channel in the first timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to a predetermined parameter and, if it does, displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code, or (ii) displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code; and
(b) if the selected channel was selected within the other timeslot, allow play of the programming content on the selected channel after receipt of the channel selection without a delay to check the event information code for the selected channel in the other timeslot and, after the programming content has started playing, checking the event information code for the selected channel in the other timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to a predetermined parameter and, only if it does, stopping play of the programming content on the selected channel, displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein when entry of a parental control code has been requested, the programming content of the selected channel is not played until the earlier of: the parental control code being entered; and the end of the first time slot.
9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor arrangement is also operative to:
maintain a table, whereby the table includes a list of the plurality of TV channels, the plurality of TV channels being grouped in a plurality of groups, the groups including:
a first group, the channels of the first group not including any programming content having a critical parental control rating; and
at least one other group, the channels of the at least one other group including programming content having the critical parental control rating; and
search the table to determine which of the groups the selected channel is a member of.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one other groups includes:
a second group, the channels of the second group having programming content which is synchronized with the event information values; and
a third group, the channels of the third group having programming content which is not synchronized with the event information values.
11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein:
if the selected channel is a member of the second group, and the selected channel is selected during the first timeslot, the processor arrangement is operative to delay play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while checking the event information code for the selected channel in the first timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to the predetermined parameter and, if it does, displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code; and
if the selected channel is a member of the third group, and the selected channel is selected during the first timeslot, the processor arrangement is operative to delay play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while displaying a request for entry of a parental control code and awaiting entry of a parental control code.
12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein, if the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot, the processor arrangement is operative to delay play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while checking the event information code for the selected channel in the first timeslot to determine if the event information code corresponds to the predetermined parameter and, if it does, displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code.
13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein when entry of a parental control code has been requested the processor arrangement is operative such that programming content of: the selected channel is not played until the earlier of: the parental control code being entered; and the end of the first timeslot.
14. The device according to claim 7 , wherein, if the selected channel was selected within the first timeslot, the processor arrangement is operative to delay play of the programming content after receipt of the channel selection while displaying the request for entry of the parental control code and awaiting entry of the parental control code.