KR19990026846A - How to Set Parental Control for Satellite Broadcast Receivers - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for setting a parental control of a satellite broadcast receiver which improves a parental control setting process by minimizing cumbersome key manipulation in the process of limiting viewing according to the grade of a broadcast program in a satellite broadcast receiver. A first step of determining whether the access user ID is the administrator ID when the key signal for setting the parental level is input while the connected user ID is stored; and as a result of the determination, the access user ID is the administrator ID In the second step of displaying a menu screen of a predetermined type for setting the parental level, if the user ID and the program level to which the parental level is to be restricted are input, all of the grades above the entered limit level are restricted. In the third step of setting, when the completion key signal for the limit setting is input, After saving the restriction object ID and is set Control level and a fourth step of turning off the 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 a parental control function of a specific broadcast program according to a user.

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 bitstream provided from a satellite, processes a broadcast signal of a selected channel, and then displays it on a display device.

In this case, various information such as broadcast signals (image data and audio data), EIT (event information table), and time data table (TDT) for each channel are included in the bit stream provided from the satellite. In general, a satellite receiver receives a user's ID to control the operation of the satellite receiver and watch a broadcast program.

In addition, the satellite broadcasting receiver includes a program viewing restriction function for restricting viewing of a program according to a user. The ID of each user includes an administrator ID for setting and releasing the viewing restriction function.

That is, a specific user can be given an administrator ID to set parental control function for each individual ID. Such types of program parental control include a rating limit method for limiting viewing according to the program rating, and a paid program. There is a method of limiting a spreading to limit viewing depending on whether a purchase is made, and a method of limiting a channel to restrict viewing of a specific channel.

Among the conventional parental control functions, the limiting method according to the rating of the program is classified into NR (Not Rating), G (General audiences) and PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Ratings), PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned: 13 years old and older), NR-Content, R (Restricted), NC-17 (No Children Under 17: 17) .

In addition, in the process of setting the viewing restriction of the satellite broadcasting program using the administrator ID according to each of the program ratings, the user sets the ratings to be set one by one.

In other words, in order to set a parental level for a rating above 'PG-13', the user first selects 'PG-13' by using a cursor, then selects 'NR-Content' and then 'R' ',' NR-Mature 'and' NC-17 'are selected respectively to set the parental control function for the corresponding program.

Therefore, in the conventional parental level setting process according to the program level, the user has to set the parental level through the key operation even for each level higher than the level for which the user wants to set the parental level.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to classify each broadcast program by a grade, and using the classified information of the satellite broadcast receiver that can simultaneously limit the viewing of a plurality of broadcast programs The purpose is to provide a method for setting parental control.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a preset I of a broadcast program for a user having a specific ID among the plurality of user IDs in a satellite broadcasting receiver in which a plurality of user IDs and an administrator ID for managing each user ID are pre-registered. In the method of setting the parental level according to the seismic P class, if the key signal for the parental level setting is input while the user ID currently connected to the satellite broadcasting receiver is stored, the access user ID is the manager ID. A first step of determining a second step of displaying a menu screen for setting the parental control when the access user ID is the administrator ID; and a user ID and a program to be the parental control target. When the restriction level of is inputted, from the inputted restriction level to the P level automatically And a fourth step of, when the completion key signal for the restriction setting is input, storing the restriction target ID and the set restriction level, and then turning off the menu screen. To provide.

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 illustrating a process of setting a parental level of a satellite broadcast receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

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 an MPEG decoder ( 30), the microcomputer 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 40. It consists of a key.

The tuner and demodulator 20 receives a satellite broadcast signal received through a satellite antenna (not shown), tunes a bitstream of a channel corresponding to the tuning control signal of the microcomputer 40, and then demodulates the MPEG signal. The decoder 30 is provided.

The MPEG decoder 30 separates and decodes a broadcast signal provided from the tuner and the demodulator 20 into an audio signal, a video signal, and various program information, and then provides the signal to a signal processing unit (not shown) for display on a monitor. Data for various menu screens provided from the OSD unit 60 are also provided to the signal processing unit after a predetermined signal processing process.

In addition, the microcomputer 40 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 separated from the MPEG decoder 30 is stored in the first memory unit 50.

In addition, the personal ID information for each user and the information on the parental level set by the administrator ID are stored in the second memory unit 55, and the grade of the broadcast program of the channel selected by the user is stored in the second memory unit ( Compared to the information stored in the 55) to perform the corresponding operation.

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

When the power is turned on by the user in the satellite broadcasting receiver configured as described above, the microcomputer 40 displays a guide message for inputting a user ID on the screen through the OSD unit 60. When the user inputs his or her ID and ID information (eg, a password) by operating the key input unit 10, the input ID information is compared with the respective ID information stored in the second memory unit 55.

If the user does not input the ID, the microcomputer 40 accesses the family ID, which is the basic viewing ID, to control the operation of the satellite broadcasting receiver.

As described above, after confirming the user ID and storing the currently connected ID information in the second memory unit 55, the microcomputer 40 switches the operation of the satellite broadcasting receiver to the normal viewing mode and tunes the channel selected by the user. To generate a tuning control signal to provide to the tuner and demodulator 20.

If the key signal for setting the viewing restriction of the broadcast program in the normal viewing mode or the standby mode of the satellite broadcasting receiver is input through the key input unit 10 by the user's operation, the microcomputer 40 receives the key signal. The ID of the current user stored in the second memory unit 55 is read to check whether the currently connected ID is an administrator ID. If the check result is not an administrator ID, a predetermined guide message (for example, In the case of the administrator ID, the menu screen information stored in the first memory unit 50 is read and provided to the OSD unit 60.

Then, the read back information is provided to the OSD unit 60, and the OSD unit 60 configures the information provided from the microcomputer 40 as an OSD screen, as shown in FIG. 2A through the MPEG decoder 30. The same parental level menu screen is displayed.

Then, the user again selects the ID of the target to set the parental level and the program grade by moving the cursor by the operation of the key input unit 10 with reference to the menu screen as shown in the same drawing. Detailed description with reference to the following.

For example, when the user enters' VIEWER 1 'as the parental control ID as shown in FIG. 2B, moves the cursor to select the' PG 13 'grade, the selected' as shown in FIG. All grades higher than PG 13 'are automatically selected.

That is, a higher rating than the program grade for which the user wants to set the parental level is automatically parentalized, thereby reducing the key manipulation process.

When the user completes the parental control setting by operating the key input unit 10 again, the microcomputer 40 stores the information about the parental control target ID and program grade input by the user in the second memory unit 55. After that, when a specific user accesses the satellite broadcasting receiver through the restricted ID (for example, VIEWER 1) and watches the broadcast program of the limited level, the user is blocked.

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

As described above, after the connected user ID information is stored in the second memory unit 55 when the initial satellite broadcast receiver is turned on, in the normal viewing mode or standby mode of the satellite broadcast receiver (step 301). When a key signal for setting the parental level according to the grade of the broadcast program is input by the user (step 303), the microcomputer 40 reads the ID of the current user stored in the second memory unit 55 (step 305). ).

Then, it is checked whether the currently connected ID is the administrator ID. If the check result is not the administrator ID, the message 'not limit setting' is displayed (step 309). The parental level setting menu screen is displayed (step 311).

At this time, when the user inputs the ID of the target to set the parental level and the program's restriction level by referring to the menu screen as shown in the drawing (step 313), the microcomputer 40 of FIG. The control automatically selects the program grade selected by the user and all grades higher than this (step 317).

If the ID and the restriction level of the audience restriction target are not input for a predetermined time set in the above-described step 313 (step 315), the viewing displayed in the above-described step 311 under the control of the microcomputer 40 is performed. The restriction setting menu screen automatically turns off.

Meanwhile, when the parental control ID and the parental level are selected through the above-described step 317 and the parental control setting complete key signal is input by the user or a predetermined time elapses (step 319), the microcomputer 40 Under the control of, the information on the target viewing restriction target ID and the selected restriction level is stored in a predetermined area of the second memory unit 55 (step 321), and the currently displayed menu screen is turned off (step 323).

As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of cumbersome key manipulations in setting the parental control function according to the type of program. Then, in the state after the parental level is set according to the grade of the program through this process, when a specific user accesses the satellite broadcasting receiver using the limited ID set to watch the limited broadcast program, the microcomputer 40 of the The parental control function set by the administrator ID is performed by blocking the video screen after displaying a predetermined guidance message (for example, a program for which viewing is restricted) by the control.

As described above, according to the present invention, by automatically setting the grade above the grade set based on the program grade selected by the user for the parental control function, the cumbersome key operation process for setting the grade of the parental control program is simplified and There is an effect that can provide convenience in using the product.

Claims (5)

In the satellite broadcasting receiver in which a plurality of user IDs and an administrator ID for managing each user ID are registered, a parental level is set according to preset I to P grades of a broadcast program for a user having a specific ID among the plurality of user IDs. In the method, A first step of determining whether the access user ID is the administrator ID when a key signal for setting the parental level is input while the user ID currently connected to the satellite broadcasting receiver is stored; A second step of displaying a predetermined form of a menu screen for setting the parental level when the access user ID is the administrator ID; A third step of automatically setting, from the entered restriction level to the P level, as a restriction target level when the user ID to be restricted to the viewing and the restriction level of the program are input; And a fourth step of turning off the menu screen after storing the restriction target ID and the set restriction level when the completion key signal for the restriction setting is input. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu screen is displayed including information on all grades of a program provided to the satellite broadcasting program. The method of claim 1, wherein the second step further comprises displaying a limit setting impossible guide message when the access user ID is not the administrator ID. The method of claim 3, wherein the guide message is displayed in an OSD form. The satellite broadcasting receiver of claim 1, wherein the third step further comprises automatically turning off the displayed menu screen when the restriction ID and the program grade are not input for a predetermined time. How to set limits.