GB2284914A

GB2284914A - Discretionary viewing control

Info

Publication number: GB2284914A
Application number: GB9325940A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Keith Andrew Godfrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-12-18
Filing date: 1993-12-18
Publication date: 1995-06-21
Also published as: GB9325940D0

Abstract

Discretionary Viewing Control is provided at the point of display (TV, Monitor, Computer), restricting access to unsuitable program material based on user programmed conditions. This includes day, date, content, time, channel and signal source. The control conditions are fully flexible from simple time based data, through channel, day, time of day conditions, up to automatic control from codes incorporated into the source media.

Description

Discretionary Viewing Control.

This invention relates to Discretionary Viewing Control at Point of Display.

Television Sets, Monitors and Computer Equipment accept input from a variety of sources.

These include Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcast, Video Cassette Recorders, Video Disc Players, Cable, Computers solid state memory and many other sources. Currently Parents have little or no control over the viewing of their children as many have their own televisions (and in some cases Video), or have access during Parental absence.

Concern has been expressed by the public and authorities about the effect of viewing on children and the lack of restrictions. There is currently no simple method of viewing control.

According to the present invention there is provided a proposal for conditionally inhibiting Television , Display Monitor or Computer sound and vision signals for the purpose of locally restricting, or censoring the material or source of material that can be viewed.

This takes the form of a "Discretionary Viewing Control Unit" (DVCU) which is placed in the signal path to the Display, in the Display itself or in equipment controlling the Display Typically the Display will be a television (TV) but may also be a Monitor , Computer, Multi- Media Device or Computer Game Unit. The descriptions below refer to a TV application however the principal holds equally well and is readily applied to the other types of display.

The application is intended primarily for parental control of viewing material but could also find a use in the workplace as multi-media computer applications become more widespread, or in hotels etc.

The unit can be attached to the signal input path (RF Aerial input for TV) as an after sale addon, incorporated into the TV itself or into the TV Remote Controller. By decoding and selectively filtering the incoming signals based on pre-programmed restrictions, control can now be exercised over types of material allowed to be displayed.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with block diagrams to illustrate the principles of operation of the unit. Again these descriptions refer to a TV implementation.

The important aspect is the technique of applying local and selective inhibition rather than the design of decoders filters or encoders.

Figure 1. shows the unit incorporated as an add-on to consumers existing equipment. The unit is placed between the Signal Source (Aerial / Video / Satellite Decoder/ Computer) and TV.

This requires no user modification of their equipment. Instead of tuning to the required channel on the TV, it is now done on the DVCU. The TV being permanently tuned to the output frequency of the DVCU RF stage. Program Restriction Data is entered via a keypad or remote controller. This can also provide users of older TV sets with a remote control capability.

Figure 2. shows the unit incorporated into new equipment. This implementation is cheaper and causes less chance of signal degradation. Obviously there are problems as many households have multiple TV sets. Those used by children are likely to be older.

Figure 3. shows the unit incorporated into the TV remote controller itself. This offers a limited amount of control but has the advantage of being simple and cost effective. The unit is a combined TV remote control and DVCU and replaces the original TV controller. Obviously there should be no other way the TV channels can be selected and the operation at power up may be critical.

To explain the features of the DVCU, condition selection unit a number of "condition" examples will be described along with features provided. These features may be used together in one unit or be optional.

1) Coarse Viewing Control.

The timer is programmed to limit any or all channels to specified periods of the day.

E.g. No channel may be viewed after 9 p.m. No video channels to be viewed between 8 am and 6 p.m. ( inhibiting unauthorised access to parental videos). This not only restricts viewing material but will provide free time for homework, reading and other pursuits.

2) Programmed restrictions Using familiar programming techniques to those used in a video recorder , the channel, date, start and end times can be specified to inhibit a specific program either as a one off or on a repetitive basis. Multiple restrictions can be imposed.

3) Enhanced Programming Methods Listings Publications and Newspapers often carry a code number for each program.

This uniquely identifies the time, channel and duration of a program to be recorded.

This code can be used to set up conditions in the DVCU.

Since the TV or Viewing Apparatus could be located in an area where it may be inconvenient or impractical to program the restrictions locally, provision can be made for transmission of programming data over the mains wiring system. many households have multiple TV sets which could have restrictions broadcast from a central point, or could have different restrictions sent to different units.

4) Automatic Mode A rating similar to the Film and Video Censor Ratings is "attached" to the program itself. This takes the form of a digital code transmitted with the vision and sound data.

The technology is already available since spare line data is used for "ceefax" and subtitling. This code is detected on the DVCU and determines automatically which programs are inhibited. The parent can program the unit to display only programs rated U or to inhibit only those rated 18 etc.

This principal can also be applied to pre recorded and rental videos and to computer software.

This automatic technique costs very little for the Media companies to add to the programs or pre recorded tapes. The PR benefit to them is immense , and will help to stop any further restrictions and legislation's being imposed on the industry.

Implementation of the unit is straightforward. The technology is well proven for Signal Decoding, Encoding and Channel Selection. Figures 4 illustrates in greater detail the main functional blocks of the DVCU.

The Interface Section receives the program and channel select data from the user. This can be via keypad, remote control unit , bar code reader or via the mains wiring. It can also provide feedback to the user of the data entered and functions selected via a display panel. Inhibition program data is password protected for security.

The Control Store maintains the condition data used to control channel inhibition and the password used to restrict access to the programming functions.

The Timer is used to compare current day and time with the conditional data in the program store. This may be local or use "off - air timecode signals for accuracy.

The Inhibit Control section performs the comparison of data from the selected channel, the timer and the condition store and decides if the channel is to be inhibited or not. If inhibited then a display blanking signal is passed via the channel selection unit to the display. If not inhibited then the channel is passed through unchanged.

The Blanking Section supplies a screen blanked image to indicate that the inhibitor is active rather than the TV being faulty.

In Automatic Mode the Encoded Program Rating (EPR) is decoded from the input signal and passed to the Inhibit Control section. Here it is compared with the Control Store conditions to see if this rating can be viewed. If not the blanking signal is selected , otherwise the signal is displayed as normal.

Figure 5. illustrates the Stand Alone DVCU in greater detail. Incoming signals are decoded and the channel selected compared with the inhibit data in the Condition Store. If the channel is permitted then the signal is reconverted to UHF and output to the TV sets normal aerial socket.

If however the Condition Store indicates that this channel is to be inhibited then the incoming signal is blocked and a local blanking signal output to the TV indicating that the selection is not available.

Figure 6. illustrates the Integral DVCU . Operation is essentially identical to the stand alone unit.

Figure 7. illustrates the DVCU incorporated into the TV Remote Control Unit itself. This implementation prevents selection of restricted channels by inhibiting the Remote Controller from tuning the TV to that channel. This provides a sub-set of the DVCU features cheaply and with no set up. The unit simply replaces the standard controller after "learning" the control codes. Program data can be transferred between handsets for multiple TV households. The disadvantage is that rating codes transmitted with the programs cannot be restricted and blanking is unavailable (although a non-restricted channel could be selected as default). The "rating" inhibit feature can be easily implemented if the communication between controller and TV set becomes bi-irectional. The TV now decodes the the rating and uses this as feedback to the controller if the program is to be inhibited.

The DVCU functions can be distributed between handset and TV, be entirely in the TV or with limited functionality be entirely in the remote control handset. This provides maximum flexibiiity and an upgrade path.

Claims

1. The process of conditionally inhibiting Television, Display Monitor or Computer sound and vision signals for the purpose of locally restricting, or censoring the material or source of material that can be viewed.

2. External Equipment placed in the input signal path to the display equipment for the purpose of inhibiting signals as described in Claim 1.

3. External Equipment placed in the signal selection and control path of the display equipment for the purpose of inhibiting signals as described in Claim 1.

4. Equipment, incorporated into the Television, Display Monitor or Computer for the purpose of inhibiting signals as described in Claim 1.

5. User programming of conditions to perform the signal inhibiting described in Claim 1, based on day, time, channel , signal source and program content either wholly or singly.

6. Encoding of a Program Rating into the broadcast signal (Terrestrial, Satellite, Cable or other transmission medium ) for the purpose of localised restriction at the destination as described in Claim 1.

7. Encoding of Program Rating into the recorded media (tape, disc, solid state or other recording material ) for the purpose of localised restriction at the destination as described in Claim 1.

8. Automatic implementation of the signal restrictions described in Claim 1, based on a code incorporated into the signal source as described in Claims 5 and 6.

9. Multiple Control Units performing the signal inhibition described in Claim 1, programmed by the user (Claim 4) from a single point, either wholly or selectively.

10. Distribution of the signal inhibition described under Claim 1 between external equipment and the display equipment. This may require uni-directional or bi-directional communication between the separate units.