MXPA01008631A

MXPA01008631A - Televition apparatus having a rating limit setting feature.

Info

Publication number: MXPA01008631A
Application number: MXPA01008631A
Authority: MX
Inventors: David Hawkins Bret
Original assignee: Thomson Licensing Sa
Priority date: 2000-08-25
Filing date: 2001-08-24
Publication date: 2002-11-07
Also published as: MY129836A; CN1223183C; CA2355793A1; CN1345160A; CA2355793C; KR100839548B1; KR20020016558A

Abstract

A televition apparatus capable of processing a television signial to determine if program content rating information is provided, includes a user enabled rating limit feature that automaticaly updates a user's viewing/rating profile according to a program, the viewer can choose to allow all future programs to be viewed based on the rating information of the current program ("view"), or to prevent all futures programs from being viewed based on the rating information of the current program ("block"). When the choice is made to view, alll future programs with a rating equal to or less than the rating of the current program can be viewed. When the choice is made to block, all future programs with a rating equal to or higher thanthe rating of the current program will be blocked from viewing.

Description

TELEVISION DEVICE WITH A FEATURE OF AUDIENCE LIMIT ADJUSTMENT - FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for using television signals and more particularly, to a television apparatus capable of using program hearing information transmitted together with the television signal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At present, programming for home viewers is available from many sources, such as terrestrial broadcasting, cable distribution (CATV), satellite broadcasting (for example, DBS) or their peers. Television programming can be provided in an analogue and / or digital format. In all the chaos, television programming includes audio and video information for a plurality of channels and may also include other information, for example, approaches, storage / data teletypes, lists of program guides or their peers. This other information or auxiliary data is encoded in a television signal, sometimes in the vertical blocking interval (VB1). The different sources of television programs available today provide a wide variety of programming ... itiiéiáá? .- nMft »-J"? " -... ---- pjinfÜMi television. Unfortunately, some television programming contains content that is not appropriate for all viewers. Such objectionable content may include inappropriate language, sex or sexual content, violence or their peers. 5 Of course, there are different degrees of objectionable content in relation to each category, as well as other content categories. In response to the need of parents or other persons to censor or control objectionable content that may be observed by children or others, auxiliary data transmitted with the television signal may include the audience information of the program content (e.g. the information "V-chip"). The audience information of the content of the program can be used to inform the observer the level of the different categories of content for a particular program. The audience information of the program content may also be used to control the observation of television programs. An observation profile that contains the audience limits of the program set by the observer is maintained by television. The observation profile is used by television to determine 20 if the program is suitable for the observer based on the settings / audience preferences of the content stored in the profile compared to the content audiences of a program In case the program has an audience that exceeds the audience preferences the audience of the content, the program is 25 blocked for observation. Otherwise, the program will be observed. However, at present, the only way to develop and adjust profile preferences / audience settings is to go through the length of the content profile menus and select to manually block or not block it based on each audience information class. For example, the user has to explicitly go through the list of audience chains (ie, language, violence, sexual content, etc.) and different levels of each category, and select block or not block the program based on each of them. This consumes the observer's time, both in the initial adjustment and in the modification of the audience profile of the content. Also, the observer is required to execute a number of keystrokes on the remote control. In addition, the observer may not know how to block in advance based solely on content, without having to observe the program that has a certain content audience. In this way, the observer is prevented from making a number of decisions blindly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a television apparatus that can operate to process a television signal that has content audience data and allows the observer to set an audience limit for future programs based on the audiences of the contents of a television. current program.

In one form, the present invention is a method for processing an input signal. The method includes processing an input signal to determine an audience associated with a current program provided by the input signal. A 5 audience limit is established in response to the audience associated with the current program. The method also includes preventing the content of a program from a second program from being presented subsequent to the first program, to be provided by the user in response to a hearing from the second program that exceeds the limit of 10 audience. In another form, the present invention is an input signal processing apparatus. The input signal processing apparatus includes means for processing an input signal to determine an audience associated with a current program 15 provided by the input signal, means to establish a hearing limit in response to the audience of the current program and means to prevent the content of a program from a second program from being presented subsequent to the current program to be provided to the user in response to the audience of the second program, which exceeds 20 audience limit. Yet, in another form, the present invention is a television apparatus that includes processing circuitry that can be operated to determine an audience associated with a current program pro by a television signal, means to establish 25 a hearing limit corresponding to the program audience current with the reception of the user input and means to provide the user with a selection option to prevent any program content of a second program provided by a television signal from being presented subsequent to the current program to be provided to a user. user in response to a hearing of the second program, which exceeds the audience limit, or allow the program content of the second program provided by a television signal to be presented subsequent to the current program to be provided to a user in response to the second program hearing that is less than the audience limit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference should be made to the following description of the present invention together with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system in which the present invention can be used; Figure 2 is an amplified view of a television set of Figure 1, showing an on-screen display of the audience menu of the content of a program in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for carrying out the principles of the present invention. The corresponding reference numbers indicate the parts jsa & JIM corresponding through the different views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figure 1, a system, generally indicated with the number 10, is shown in which the present invention can be used. Initially, it should be appreciated that the system 10 and the various components thereof are only exemplary of an environment / application in which the present invention can be used. Therefore, it should be understood that the components and / or systems other than those particularly shown and described therein can use the principles presented therein. The system 10 has an antenna or signal source 12 that receives and / or outputs the television's output signals. It should be appreciated that the antenna / signal source 12 is representative of any type of television signal receiver / source as a terrestrial antenna for digital and / or analog television signals, or a direct broadcasting satellite antenna (DBS) or cable television system (CATV) or its like. Antenna 12 is in communication with a television signal receiver (i.e., a television apparatus which may or may not include a display or television apparatus 14 through a communication channel or line 16. Typically, the television signal it includes a plurality of audio and video information channels.Also, the television signal typically includes auxiliary data such as content audiences for the different programs on each channel.The television apparatus 14 may or may not include an integral de-spliegue 20 for Show the portion of the video of a selected channel Also, the television apparatus 14 may or may not include an integral audio system (not shown) to reproduce the audio portion of the selected channel The television apparatus 14 includes processing circuitry / suitable logic 18 that is adapted / operable to receive the television signal, tune to a particular channel, decode / demodulate the television signal including the decoding of auxiliary information, and executing other television signal procedures. The On Screen Display / Logic 22 circuitry is also provided in the television apparatus 14 to generate an on-screen display of information including, but not limited to: the channel number, date, time, stored channel, programming names / media of adjustment, program guides, flags and various kinds of menus including, an audience menu of the content of the program. Also, the memory 32 is provided for storing different information as necessary and / or appropriate for the operation of the television apparatus 14 including the observation profile of the program content, described below. An exemplary remote control 26 can be used to provide the input of an observer or user to the television set 14 in order to turn on or off the ^ JjmAA. television, change channels, increase or decrease the audio volume, enter the different menus, make selections in the different menus and their peers. The volume is increased by pressing or selecting (in general, selecting) the volume up button (VOL +), while the volume is decreased by selecting the volume down button (VOL-). Changing channels is achieved by selecting the upstream channel (CH +) button or downstream channel (CH-) button. A "keyboard (not shown) is also typically provided for entering a channel number directly or for other purposes." The remote control 26 generates a signal or control signals with the selection of the observer or by pressing a button, which are transmitted and they are received by a remote detector / logic circuitry 24 in the television set 14. The transmission of the control signals can be provided by an infrared (IR) generator in the remote control 26, a radio frequency (RF) generator. in the remote control 26, or any other wireless means The remote detector 24 includes complementary receiver / logic circuitry for the transmission / logic circuitry of the remote control 26 to receive and decode the control signals. television can be achieved by means of "front panel" in the television set 14 The remote control 26 also includes a navigation keyboard 28 having arrows up, down, right and left, so that a cursor or its like generated and ., Jjt a, Afeü «.Í- ^ shown in the display 20 can be controlled by the observer. A game lever or its like (n_a shown) can serve the same purpose as the navigation keyboard 28. The remote control also includes a selection button (SELECT) so that a menu option or its like can be selected on the screen 20, typically when the option is selected or its like, typically by the navigation keyboard 28. It should be appreciated that the typical remote control includes a plurality of other buttons or keys (not shown) to control or provide selection of various functions and / or features of the television set 14. As indicated above, the television set 14 can be operated to receive and decode the audience data of the program content or information from the television input signal. The audience information of the program content can be displayed on the screen 20. The audience data of the program content can also be stored in the memory 32 and / or processed in any way by the processing / logical circle 18. However , it is not necessary that the information of the content audience can be displayed on screen 20, but it may be an option. In case ~ the audience information of the program content is shown on screen 20, it may be in association with the program currently visualized. Also, the audience information of the program content may be provided in association with a guide list of the program. Program. In addition to warning (showing) to the observer the audiences of the content of the program, e-Laparato 14 of television can also use the audiences of the content of the program to block the particular programs to be seen and / or to allow the visualization of the particular programs. Typically, this is achieved along with an observation profile of the program content or observation profile for shorts. The receiver 14 of the television signal can be operated to store the audience information of the content of the program in the observation profile within the memory 32. The display profile can be created initially in response to a setting menu in the audience profile of the program content shown on screen 20 and accessed via remote control. Through the adjustment menu, the observer can introduce levels (audiences) for each category of content. The observer indicates the appropriate levels to observe (that is, does not block) and the levels inadequate to observe (ie, blocks). During the observation, the processing / logic circuitry 18 reviews the content audience of a current program with the content audience of the observer profile. In case the audience of the content of one or more categories of the current program exceeds or is higher (contains more) than the audience of the content of the corresponding content category in the display profile, the program will be blocked. In case the ii jiá-íí Ai * * iéáí .r..k .- .. j-.???ja?».s,.z -z. (. z? ^? ^ & ?? £ ^ A? ^? r ^ zy ^^? tJÍ? Má ?????????????????? - jk? hearings of the current program is lower or lower (contains less) than the corresponding content audiences of the profile of visualization, the program will not be blocked for the observer.It should be appreciated that the foregoing is only exemplary in a way in which the audiences of the content of the program can be used to block or not block current programs. possible with respect to when the programs are blocked or not.However, the visualization profile may or may not be established initially as explained above.In any case, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, when a program is seen, the observer has the option to update (or create) the display profile to match the audiences of the program content for the different categories of the current program. In case the observer decides that the current program is suitable or appropriate to be observed, the observer can select a "watch" button, menu option or its like in the remote control through a label or menu shown in the screen 20 The audience profile of the program's content is updated (or created) with the audiences of the content of the program for the current program, "so that a subsequent program that has program content audiences equal to or less than those of the program. current program (now stored in the program's viewing profile) will be allowed to be observed (that is, not blocked).

If the observer decides that the current program is not suitable or appropriate to observe, the observer can select the "lock" button, menu option or its like, again from the remote control 26 or through a label or menu shown in the screen 20. The audience profile of the content of the program is then updated (or created) with the audience of the content of the program for the current program, so that any subsequent program that has the audience of the content of the program that are equal or superior to those of the current program (now stored in the display profile), it will not be allowed to be observed (that is, blocked). This can be provided on a per-category basis or in all categories as a whole. Thus, in accordance with the above, the observer can easily block or not display future programs based on the attributes of the audience of the content of a current program, better that the observer has to select to block or not block programs blind futures. With reference to Figure 2, a television apparatus 14 is illustrated where the screen 20 shows a menu 30 of the audience of the content of the program. The menu 30 can be displayed in response to the observer selecting the ~ limit of audience adjustment button on the remote control 26 during the observation of the program, or when moving a cursor shown on the screen on a label or its like that includes a selection to enter the audience limit feature present Se IÜ..U - É -tUXXXMzik. .zü .-. x? yX ^ .Kx, ^} t? Ji? 'YES' - 1 i 5 may use other means to display menu 30. Also, menu options may be provided in a label on screen 20. Once menu 30 is displayed, the observer may select to allow the display of future programs that have the same or smaller content audiences for each category by selecting the display button. Alternatively, the viewer can select to avoid or block the viewing of future programs that have the same or larger content audience for each category by selecting the Lock button. Also, when you exit the menu 30 using a button or "exit" selection, the menu 30 can stop its deployment with a set time (ie, there is no activity in a predetermined period of time). Also, the observer has the option to select to enable (through the button or selection "enable") the present feature or disable (using the button or selection "disable" the present feature.) The disabled mode can have one or more functions. a disabled mode, the setting of an audience limit is disabled In another mode, the television set 14 will allow the viewing of any program, regardless of any previously established audio limit. television the ability to set an audience limit and / or avoid viewing any program that exceeds the audience limit.Alternatively, the remote control You can have buttons or keys in it that correspond to the buttons or to the menu options shown in Fig. 2, to enter directly into the present characteristics. Also, it should be appreciated that the menu 30 of the audience of the content of the program can be shown as an overlay, transparent or not, about the program currently seen. It should be appreciated that a different menu can be displayed on screen 20, which provides the display or "blockage of future programs by category for the current program, so that greater control over the display of subsequent programs can be maintained. With this characteristic, the observer can alternatively select between Visualize or Block based on the audiences of the current program content in a category-based category, while there are different types of audience systems (ie, categories, content, levels, etc.) that may be in use or used by the present invention, there are two audience systems in current practical use. A system of audience or scheme is used for television programs in general (ie comedies, news and news, general programming, etc.) while another audience system or scheme is used for the cinema. The first audience system provides the user with the ability to block or allow programming based on a complete, entire audience category (such as a TELEVISION-MA) or block or allow programming based on certain aspects í? í-lá.árás, i ,, &Ai? l - ¿.. ± ~. xy ----. "AfejAt i,. * -. SÍULxix (Content) of that audience (such as TV-PG with Sex). This audience system allows for a wide range of flexibility or control by allowing the user to block several aspects separately within each category of total audience. In this way, the user can for example, block the TV-MA Sex but allow the TV-14 Sex. An exemplary profile table based on the first audience system may resemble the following: (B-Block, V-Visualize) The second audience pattern (generally used for film) is more basic, so it provides the user with the ability to block or visualize based solely on MPAA audiences, and not on individual categories . For example, the user may block the programs / movies R and PG-13, but allow PG / G programs / movies. Another aspect of the present invention is the measure that a particular program currently observed, and be used as a model for the feature. of setting the current audience limit, the audience may not have "perfect" content. That is, a particular program may not incorporate a combination of category levels of content that a -, .-. r, - ^. -.a¿; ¿sfeali observer want to observe. For example, a current program that has a level "3" (outside of an arbitrary scale of "5", being "5" the highest or highest amount for the particular content for the particular category, and "1" being the lowest or the least amount of content particular to the particular category) for violence, while having a "4" for sexual content and a "2" for language. The observer can select to allow the display of the program because there is a "2" for the language. However, this could change the audience of the content of the category for violence or sexual content. In view of this, the present audience limit feature can provide an OSD message that asks the observer to confirm the change of the different audiences for the category. This may not be necessary when the change is from a "higher" audience to a "lower" audience. However, the above can be adjusted by the menu scheme by category. In another form, a "neglect" message may be provided to indicate that all categories (sheet change) will be changed for the audiences of the current program content. Additionally, the content menu of the program can enable the observer to modify an audience profile "of the content of the observer, where multiple profiles are provided.The different schemes can allow a display profile arrangement of" tree "or" father-son " "for the purpose of establishing and / or controlling the viewing of children's programs, while leaving the adult program display for your consideration." The viewing profile may be suspended for a period of time, or for a particular program. The audience menu of the program content may include the selections described above with respect to the different display profiles Operation Next, a flow chart, generally designated 50, illustrated in Figure 3, is mentioned to describe a method for use in accordance with the principles presented herein The instructions in this method are stored in the n the memory 32 of the television set 14 and are executed by the unit 18 / circuitry. It should be appreciated that the flow chart 50 and the method described in association with the flow chart 50 is only exemplary of a method for carrying out the principles of the invention. The routines of computer programs (i.e., instructions) can be implemented by any means known in the art, and in any programming language. Some programming measures such as procedures, object orientation or artificial intelligence techniques can be used. The steps of the flow diagram 50 can be implemented by one or more routines of computer programs, subroutines, modules, etc. It should be appreciated that flow chart 50 is t .i jdt¿.A ¡iJai¡fc * «fc« ttta * i ,. xk.-mMA- * t- fr.ik? ilÍM * ÍAIt? mtÁ »** íSU illustrative only of a broad logical flow of a method in accordance with the principles of the present invention and that steps can be added, or removed some, of the flow diagram without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the order of execution the steps of the flow diagram 50 can be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. Additional considerations for implementing the method described in flowchart 50 in computer programs may dictate changes in the selection and order of steps. Some considerations are handling by event through schemes of interruption, peak and other schemes. A multiprocessing or multi-tasking environment can allow the steps to run essentially concurrently. The television apparatus 14 receives a television signal that includes the television programming and the audience data of the program, block 52. During the television viewing, the user selects and tunes a program, block 54. The user can decide to allow ( visualize) or avoid (block) the future viewing of television programs based on the audience of the current program to be watched, block 56. The user may decide to use the program currently viewed as the "model" program with respect to his or her audience and either during the display of the current program, or within a short period of time Once the user has made the decision to block or view, the user activates the content audience menu (see Figure 2) through the input device 26 or press a "display" or "lock" key / button on the input device 26, block 58. The television apparatus 14 then updates the audience profile stored therein. , block 60. Afterwards, all subsequent programs may be viewed or blocked based on subsequent program hearings in relation to the previous program's audience (ie, update the audience profile). While this invention has been described with a preferred design and / or configuration, the present invention can also be modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this application is intended to cover all variations, uses and adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover such sections of the present disclosure as is known within common practice within the art, to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for processing an input signal, which comprises: processing an input signal to determine an audience associated with a current program provided by the input signal; set a hearing limit in response to the audience associated with the current program; and to avoid the content of the program of a second program that is presented subsequent to the first program, to be provided to the user in response to the audience of the second program that exceeds the audience limit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting a hearing limit in response to the audience associated with the current program includes obtaining an entry from an operator before establishing a hearing limit.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein obtaining an entry from an operator before setting the audience limit includes providing the operator with an option that can be selected to set the audience limit.

4. method according to claim 3, in . - * .- «.» *. F. ...-. »^ ^ J ^ .h ^ i ^ ^ ^ where providing the operator with an option that can be selected includes displaying the option that can be selected from the operator in a deployment device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein providing an option that can be selected by the operator in a deployment device includes providing an option that can be selected by the operator in response to the operator input, which wishes to set a limit of hearing.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting a hearing limit in response to the audience associated with the current program incurs providing the operator with an option to disable or enable the setting of the audience limit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein providing the operator with an option to enable or disable the establishment of an audience limit includes displaying the option to enable or disable the establishment of the audience limit in the deployment.

8. An input signal processing apparatus, which comprises: a means for processing an input signal to determine a hearing associated with a current program provided by the input signal; a means to establish a hearing limit in response to the audience of the current program; and a means to prevent the content of a program from a second program from being presented subsequent to the current program to be provided to the user in response to the hearing of the second program that exceeds the audience limit.

9. The input signal processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means to establish a hearing limit in response to the current program hearing includes a means to obtain an input from an operator before establishing an audience limit. .

10. The input signal processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the means for obtaining an input from an operator before setting the audience limit, includes a means to provide an option that the operator can select to set the limit of hearing.

11. The input signal processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for providing an option that the operator can select includes a means to display an option that can select the operator on a deployment device. .

12. The input signal processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the means for providing an option that the operator can select in a deployment device includes a means to provide an option that the operator can select in response to the input. of the operator who wants to set the audience limit.

13. The input signal processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for setting a hearing limit in response to the current program hearing includes a means to provide the operator with an option to disable or enable the establishment of the limit of hearing.

14. The input signal processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the means to provide the operator with an option to disable or enable the establishment of an audience limit includes a means to display the option to disable or enable the establishment. " of an audience limit on a screen.

15. A television apparatus comprising: processing circuitry that can be operated for determine a hearing associated with a current program provided by the television signal; a means to establish a hearing limit corresponding to the current program's audience upon receipt of the user's input; and means for providing the user with an option that can be selected to avoid the content of the program of a second program provided by the television signal that "is presented subsequent to the current program to be provided to a user in response to the audience of the second. program, which exceeds the audience limit, or allow the program content of a second program provided by the television signal that is presented subsequent to the current program to be provided to a user in response to the audience of the second program, which It is less than the audience limit.

16. The television set according to claim 15, which includes a means to disable the establishment of a hearing limit.

17. The television set according to claim 15, which includes a means for disabling the selectable option.

The television set according to claim 15, further comprising means for receiving the user input to set the audience limit.

19. The television set according to claim 18, further comprising means for causing an audience limit menu to be displayed on a screen to receive user input. i? í? á?? i?: ¡¡h .t z - ** t 11"T • • liri ff1" '..- ^ - ^^ 4aa-ii-.Bai ^ -.--. .iJ¿ ^ .Afe- »> - í á? á '? -