KR19990033464A - How to Set Parental Control for Satellite Broadcast Receivers - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of setting a parental level for a satellite broadcast receiver to which a user's parental level is separately set by using each user ID registered in the satellite broadcasting receiver, and which can be applied to a specific user among the plurality of users. A first step of checking whether a current user of the satellite broadcasting receiver is the registered administrator by displaying a menu screen for inputting an administrator password when a key signal for setting a parental level for the user is input, the check result If the input password does not match with the registered administrator password, the parental control screen displays a parental control impossible setting message for a preset time period, and if the password is matched with the registered administrator password, displays a parental control menu screen. Step 2, when the ID setting key signal for the specific user is input, setting the ID A third step of displaying a menu screen for the second step; when ID information about the specific user is input, a fourth step of turning off the ID setting menu screen and displaying a menu screen for setting the parental control item; And when the information on the item is input, storing the input ID information and the parental control item information and turning off the parental control item setting menu screen.

Description

How to Set Parental Control for Satellite Broadcast Receivers

The present invention relates to a satellite broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a method for setting a parental control of a satellite broadcast receiver suitable for setting and controlling a separate parental control function according to each user of the satellite broadcast receiver.

As is well known, satellite broadcasting is a broadcasting satellite that receives a broadcast signal from a ground station (broadcasting earth station) using a broadcasting satellite floating in a stationary orbit of 36,000 km over the equator, and can receive it directly from a satellite receiving antenna in each home. This system is a broadcasting method in which the information selection range is greatly expanded compared with the existing broadcasting system.

The satellite broadcast receiver used for such a satellite broadcast is a device that receives a bit stream provided from a satellite, processes a broadcast signal of a selected channel, and then displays it on a display device.

In this case, the bit stream provided from the satellite includes various information such as broadcast signals (video data and audio data), event information table (EIT), and time data table (TDT) for each channel.

In addition, a general satellite broadcasting receiver that receives such a satellite broadcasting signal includes a program viewing restriction function for restricting viewing of a program. Such a kind of viewing restriction includes a rating limit for limiting viewing according to a program rating. The method may include a limiting method of limiting viewing depending on whether a paid program is purchased, a limiting method of limiting viewing of a specific channel, and the like.

However, in the conventional satellite broadcasting receiver, when the parental level, the limited channel, or the time limit is set, the parental control function is performed not only for a specific user who wants to restrict viewing but also for all users who use the satellite broadcasting receiver. There was a problem that a great inconvenience occurs in viewing the broadcast program.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and register each ID in the satellite broadcasting receiver, and use this to set up a separate parental control function to a plurality of users, and apply satellite broadcasting. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for setting a parental level of a receiver.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for controlling the operation of a satellite broadcasting receiver and setting a restriction on viewing a broadcast program of each user in a satellite broadcasting receiver in which an administrator ID for managing a plurality of users is pre-registered. When a key signal for setting a parental level for a specific user among the plurality of users is input, a menu screen for inputting an administrator password is displayed to determine whether the current user of the satellite broadcasting receiver is the registered administrator. In the first step of checking, if the check result does not match the input password and the pre-registered administrator password, the parental level setting guide message is displayed for a predetermined time, and matches the pre-registered administrator password. A second step of displaying a parental control menu screen. A third step of displaying a menu screen for setting the ID when an ID setting key signal is input; turning off the ID setting menu screen and setting the parental control item when ID information for the specific user is input; A fourth step of displaying a menu screen for storing the information on the parental control items, storing the input ID information and the parental control item information, and turning off the parental control item setting menu screen; Provided is a method for setting a parental level of a satellite broadcasting receiver.

1 is a block diagram of a satellite broadcast receiver suitable for applying a method for setting a parental control of a satellite broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a view for explaining a parental level setting method of a satellite broadcasting receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a flowchart showing a parental level setting process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

10: key input unit 20: tuner and demodulation unit

30: MPEG decoder 40: Microcomputer

50, 55: first and second memory sections 60: OSD section

The above and other objects and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a satellite broadcast receiver suitable for applying a method for setting a parental control of a satellite broadcast receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The key input unit 10, the tuner and demodulator 20, and the microcomputer 30 ), The MPEG decoder 40, the first and second memory units 50 and 55, and the OSD unit 60.

The key input unit 10 is composed of key metrics on a remote controller or its own panel to generate a corresponding key signal by a user's operation and provide the same to the microcomputer 30. It consists of a key.

Then, the tuner and demodulator 20 receives a satellite broadcast signal received through a satellite antenna (not shown), tunes a bit stream of a channel corresponding to the tuning control signal of the microcomputer 30, and demodulates it again. The decoder 40 is provided to the decoder 40, and extracts and outputs various program information of the satellite broadcast inserted in the bit stream.

The MPEG decoder 40 separates and decodes a broadcast signal provided from the tuner and the demodulator 20 into an audio signal, a video signal, and various text information, and then provides the signal to a signal processor (not shown) for display on a monitor.

In addition, the microcomputer 30 controls a control signal for tuning a broadcast channel, a control signal for tuning a broadcast channel, and a control for driving the OSD unit 60 based on a key signal from the key input unit 10. A signal is generated, and various program information and menu screen information separated from the tuner and the demodulator 20 are stored in the first memory unit 50.

Further, the parental control information set by the personal ID information and the administrator ID for each user is stored in the second memory unit 55, and the restriction information set based on the key signal provided from the key input unit 10 is read out. Accordingly, the operation of the satellite broadcasting receiver is controlled.

The OSD unit 60 configures a control signal and various data provided from the microcomputer 30 as a menu screen of a predetermined type and provides the same to the MPEG decoder 40 described above, thereby displaying on a monitor not shown.

The detailed description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the initial state in which the parental level is not set for each user of the satellite broadcasting receiver, when a specific user inputs the parental level setting key by operating the key input unit 10, the microcomputer 30 ) Determines whether the user currently viewing the satellite broadcasting receiver is an administrator ID for which the parental level setting function is permitted.

That is, the microcomputer 30 drives the OSD unit 60 to display a guide message of some form (for example, 'Please input the administrator password') for inputting the administrator password, and the user enters the key input unit again. When the password is input by operating (10), the input password is compared with the administrator password stored in the second memory unit 55.

If the input password is incorrect, the OSD unit 60 is driven again to generate a guide message of a predetermined type (for example, 'The password is incorrect') for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds). After the display is switched to the normal viewing mode, when the ID input by the user matches the administrator password set in the second memory unit 55, various menu screen information stored in the first memory unit 50 is read out. The OSD 60 displays a parental control menu screen as shown in FIG. 2A.

On the other hand, in the initial state in which the parental level is not set for each user of the satellite broadcasting receiver, only the family ID is displayed as shown in the drawing, and when the user operates the key input unit 10 to select the ID setting button The microcomputer 30 reads the menu screen information stored in the first memory unit 50 again and displays the ID setting menu screen as shown in FIG. 2B through the OSD unit 60.

Then, the user operates the key input unit 10 again to set an ID to be viewed and a password for the corresponding ID. Referring to the drawing of the drawing, the user wants to restrict viewing through the key input unit 10. If the ID is inputted as 'A' and the corresponding password is entered as '1 2 3 4' and then the confirmation button displayed on the same drawing is pressed, the microcomputer 30 turns off the currently displayed ID setting menu screen again. Displays the Restricted Item Setting Menu screen as shown in 2c.

On the other hand, the parental level setting menu screen displayed at this time displays a parental control channel, an item for setting parental level and parental level.

Subsequently, when the user operates the key input unit 10 to set the parental level for the registered user ID through the above-described process, the microcomputer 30 stores the input parental level information of the second memory unit 55. After saving in a predetermined area, the currently displayed limited item setting menu screen is turned off, and the parental level menu screen displayed in the above-described process is displayed. In this case, the parental level menu screen displayed as shown in FIG. 2D is described above. Through the process, a newly registered user ID, that is, a user ID of 'A' is included and displayed.

When the user wants to set another parental control target, the user repeats the above-described process, thereby setting parental control for each user. Inform the user of the ID and password so that each user can turn on the satellite broadcasting receiver using his or her ID and password to watch the broadcast program.

If each user turns on the satellite broadcasting receiver to watch without inputting the ID and password assigned to the user, the microcomputer 30 determines the current user ID as the family ID and then sets all the user's settings. Parental restrictions will be enforced.

That is, when a specific user is watching a satellite broadcast using the family ID which is the joint viewing ID of the satellite broadcasting receiver without inputting an ID, all the parental control functions set for each user are performed, which is far more than the parental control function set for the user. Strict viewing restrictions apply.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a parental control setting process of a satellite broadcasting receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The above-described process will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

While the operation of the satellite broadcasting receiver is performed in the normal viewing mode (step 301), when a key signal for setting the parental level for a specific user is input through the key input unit 10 (step 303), the control of the microcomputer 30 is performed. A predetermined guidance message (e.g., " enter administrator password ") for entering the administrator password is displayed (step 305).

When the user operates the key input unit 10 again to input the administrator password, the input password is compared with the administrator password set in the second memory unit 55 (step 307). If so, the parental control menu screen as shown in FIG. 2A is displayed through the OSD unit 60 (step 311).

If the result of the comparison in step 307 described above does not match, the microcomputer 30 sets a corresponding guide message (for example, "The password is wrong") through the OSD unit 60 in advance. After displaying for a period of time (for example, 3 seconds) (step 309), the OSD unit 60 is turned off again to turn off the currently displayed menu screen, and the operation of the satellite broadcasting receiver is normally viewed in the initial step 301. The mode or standby state is entered (step 333).

On the other hand, while the password entered by the user in step 307 described above matches the administrator password set in the second memory unit 55 and the parental control menu screen is displayed accordingly (step 311), the user is restricted from viewing. When a key signal for setting a user ID for the target is input (step 313), the parental control menu screen currently displayed by the microcomputer 30 is turned off, and the ID input menu screen as shown in FIG. 2B is displayed. It is displayed (step 317).

Then, when a new ID and a password for the corresponding ID are input by the user's key operation (step 319), the ID input menu screen currently displayed under the control of the microcomputer 30 is automatically turned off and viewing as shown in FIG. 2C is performed. The restricted item setting menu screen is displayed (step 323).

If the ID setting key signal and the new ID information are not input for each predetermined time in the above-described steps 313 and 319 (steps 315 and 321), the current display is controlled by the microcomputer 30. Each menu screen is automatically turned off and automatically switches to the normal viewing mode of the initial step 301 (step 331).

Meanwhile, when the user sets the parental level for the corresponding ID by referring to the parental control menu screen shown in FIG. 2C through the above-described step 323, the microcomputer 30 performs the above-described step 319. After storing the inputted ID information and parental control information in a predetermined area of the second memory unit 55, the currently displayed ID input menu screen is turned off, and the parental control menu screen to which newly inputted ID information is added, that is, FIG. 2D. The updated parental level menu screen is displayed as shown in step 327.

Then, when the user continues to input the ID setting key signal again to set the parental level for another specific user (step 329), the process after the above-described step 317 is repeatedly performed to limit the parental level to another user. Is set.

If the ID setting key signal is not input in the above-described step 329 and the parental level setting end key signal or a predetermined predetermined time elapses (step 331), the viewing currently displayed under the control of the microcomputer 30 is performed. By turning off the restriction menu screen, the operation of the satellite broadcast receiver is switched to the normal viewing mode of the initial step 301 (step 333).

Therefore, when the user views the broadcast program after turning on the satellite broadcasting receiver using a user ID other than the administrator ID while the parental control function is set, each user is subject to the parental control set for him or her.

As described above, according to the present invention, an independent viewing restriction is set to each user by assigning a unique ID to each user of the satellite broadcasting receiver, so that an adaptive viewing restriction function can be performed.

Claims (4)

In the method of controlling the operation of the satellite broadcast receiver, and setting a restriction on viewing the broadcast program of each user in the satellite broadcast receiver registered in the administrator ID for managing a plurality of users, When a key signal for setting a parental level for a specific user among the plurality of users is input, a menu screen for inputting an administrator password is displayed to check whether the current user of the satellite broadcasting receiver is the registered administrator. First step; As a result of the check, if the input password and the registered administrator password do not match, a parental control setting guidance message is displayed for a predetermined time period, and if it matches the registered administrator password, the parental control menu screen is displayed. Displaying a second step; A third step of displaying a menu screen for setting the ID when an ID setting key signal for the specific user is input; A fourth step of, when the ID information for the specific user is input, turning off the ID setting menu screen and displaying a menu screen for setting the parental control item; And a fifth step of storing the inputted ID information and the parental control item information when the information on the parental control item is input, and turning off the parental control item setting menu screen. . The method of claim 1, wherein the third step further comprises automatically turning off the parental control menu screen when the ID setting key signal is not input within a predetermined time period. . The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth step further comprises automatically turning off the ID setting menu screen when ID information for the specific user is not input within a predetermined time period. How to set up. The method of claim 1, wherein the fifth step, A first step of storing the input ID information and the parental control item information when the information on the parental control item is input; Turning off the parental control item setting menu screen and returning to the updated parental control menu screen including the input ID information; If an ID setting key signal for another specific user among the plurality of users is input, the process after the third step is repeated, and if the ID setting key signal is not input within a predetermined time, the parental level menu And a third process of turning off the screen.