U.S. patent application number 15/658210 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-15 for systems and methods for blocking selected commercials.
The applicant listed for this patent is Rovi Guides, Inc.. Invention is credited to Marvin Charles Carlberg, Michael K. McCarty.
Application Number | 20180077458 15/658210 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47114662 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180077458 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McCarty; Michael K. ; et
al. |
March 15, 2018 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR BLOCKING SELECTED COMMERCIALS
Abstract
Systems and methods for blocking inappropriate or undesired
media content. Commercials are reviewed and assigned ratings or
other attributes. Metadata including one or more flags identifying
a commercial's rating or other attribute is embedded or inserted
into media guidance application data for the commercial or for the
media content during which the commercial is to be displayed. The
media guidance application data is then sent to a viewer's
equipment. The equipment receives the media guidance application
data, parses the data for the metadata, and then determines if the
commercial can be displayed based on parental control restrictions
set by a user.
Inventors: |
McCarty; Michael K.; (Agoura
Hills, CA) ; Carlberg; Marvin Charles; (Los Angeles,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rovi Guides, Inc. |
San Carlos |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47114662 |
Appl. No.: |
15/658210 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13610209 |
Sep 11, 2012 |
9716914 |
|
|
15658210 |
|
|
|
|
12062283 |
Apr 3, 2008 |
8312484 |
|
|
13610209 |
|
|
|
|
61040205 |
Mar 28, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/454 20130101;
H04N 21/4542 20130101; H04N 21/812 20130101; H04N 21/4751
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 21/454 20060101
H04N021/454 |
Claims
1-56. (canceled)
57. A method implemented on control circuitry for preventing
viewing of inappropriate content by blocking select commercials,
the method comprising: receiving an input from a user selecting a
first media asset of a plurality of media assets accessible to the
user; retrieving from a server, with the control circuitry, the
first media asset and a commercial to be displayed during a break
in the first media asset; determining, based on metadata associated
with the commercial, that the commercial is directed to a second
media asset; transmitting data identifying the second media asset
to a database associated with a plurality of content restrictions
for the user; in response to transmitting the data identifying the
second media asset, receiving, from the database, a content
restriction corresponding to the second media asset; determining
whether the content restriction prevents access to the second media
asset by the user; in response to determining that the content
restriction prevents access to the second media asset, preventing,
using the control circuitry, display of the commercial while
permitting display of the first media asset.
58. The method of claim 57, wherein permitting display of the first
media asset further comprises: comparing data identifying the first
media asset to the database associated with the plurality of
content restrictions for the user; and in response to the
comparing, determining that the user is permitted access to the
first media asset.
59. The method of claim 57, wherein the commercial is a first
commercial, further comprising replacing the first commercial with
a second commercial associated with a third media asset.
60. The method of claim 59, further comprising selecting the second
commercial based on a determination that the third media asset is
not associated with a content restriction preventing access to the
third media asset by the user.
61. The method of claim 57, further comprising: comparing data
identifying the first media asset to the database associated with
the plurality of content restrictions for the user; and preventing
display of the first media asset in response to determining that
the first media asset is associated with a content restriction
preventing access to the first media asset by the user.
62. The method of claim 57, wherein preventing display of the
commercial comprises generating for display a blank screen during a
duration of the commercial.
63. The method of claim 57, further comprising: determining a
parental control rating of the commercial; comparing the parental
control rating of the commercial to the database associated with
the plurality of content restrictions for the user to determine
whether the parental control rating of the commercial exceeds a
threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials; in
response to determining that the parental control rating of the
commercial is greater than the threshold maximum parental control
rating for commercials, preventing display of the commercial; and
in response to determining that the parental control rating of the
commercial is not greater than the threshold maximum parental
control rating for commercials, enabling access to the
commercial.
64. The method of claim 63, further comprising determining the
parental control rating of the commercial based on at least one of
keywords included in closed captioning data associated with the
commercial, flags included in metadata associated with the
commercial, a video component of the commercial, an audio component
of the commercial, and a sponsor of the commercial.
65. The method of claim 57, wherein determining that the content
restriction prevents access to the second media asset comprises:
comparing the rating for the second media asset to a threshold
maximum rating associated with the content restriction; and
preventing access to the second media asset when the rating for the
second media asset is greater than the threshold maximum rating
associated with the content restriction.
66. The method of claim 65, wherein determining the rating
associated with the second media asset comprises querying a
database associated with metadata for the second media asset for a
content rating associated with the second media asset.
67. A system for preventing viewing of inappropriate content by
blocking select commercials, the system comprising control
circuitry configured to: receive an input from a user selecting a
first media asset of a plurality of media assets accessible to the
user; retrieve from a server the first media asset and a commercial
to be displayed during a break in the first media asset; determine,
based on metadata associated with the commercial, that the
commercial is directed to a second media asset; transmit data
identifying the second media asset to a database associated with a
plurality of content restrictions for the user; in response to
transmitting the data identifying the second media asset, receive,
from the database, a content restriction corresponding to the
second media asset; determine whether the content restriction
prevents access to the second media asset by the user; in response
to determining that the content restriction prevents access to the
second media asset, prevent display of the commercial while
permitting display of the first media asset.
68. The system of claim 67, wherein the control circuitry, when
permitting display of the first media asset, is further configured
to: compare data identifying the first media asset to the database
associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user;
and in response to the comparing, determine that the user is
permitted access to the first media asset.
69. The system of claim 67, wherein the commercial is a first
commercial, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured
to replace the first commercial with a second commercial associated
with a third media asset.
70. The system of claim 69, wherein the control circuitry is
further configured to select the second commercial based on a
determination that the third media asset is not associated with a
content restriction preventing access to the third media asset by
the user.
71. The system of claim 67, wherein the control circuitry is
further configured to: compare data identifying the first media
asset to the database associated with the plurality of content
restrictions for the user; and prevent display of the first media
asset in response to determining that the first media asset is
associated with a content restriction preventing access to the
first media asset by the user.
72. The system of claim 67, wherein the control circuitry, when
preventing display of the commercial, is further configured to
generate for display a blank screen during a duration of the
commercial.
73. The system of claim 67, wherein the control circuitry is
further configured to: determine a parental control rating of the
commercial; compare the parental control rating of the commercial
to the database associated with the plurality of content
restrictions for the user to determine whether the parental control
rating of the commercial exceeds a threshold maximum parental
control rating for commercials; in response to determining that the
parental control rating of the commercial is greater than the
threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials, prevent
display of the commercial; and in response to determining that the
parental control rating of the commercial is not greater than the
threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials, enable
access to the commercial.
74. The system of claim 73, wherein the control circuitry is
further configured to determine the parental control rating of the
commercial based on at least one of keywords included in closed
captioning data associated with the commercial, flags included in
metadata associated with the commercial, a video component of the
commercial, an audio component of the commercial, and a sponsor of
the commercial.
75. The system of claim 67, wherein the control circuitry, when
determining that the content restriction prevents access to the
second media asset, is further configured to: compare the rating
for the second media asset to a threshold maximum rating associated
with the content restriction; and prevent access to the second
media asset when the rating for the second media asset is greater
than the threshold maximum rating associated with the content
restriction.
76. The system of claim 75, wherein the control circuitry, when
determining the rating associated with the second media asset, is
further configured to query a database associated with metadata for
the second media asset for a content rating associated with the
second media asset.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/040,205, filed Mar. 28, 2008, the disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Embodiments of the invention relate generally to media
systems and methods, and more particularly, to media systems and
methods for blocking inappropriate or undesired commercials during
the display of media content.
[0003] The amount and variety of media content available to viewers
has increased dramatically in recent years. In addition to hundreds
of conventional broadcast television channels, consumers may now
access a nearly limitless amount of video and other content via
computers, mobile phones, and other wired and wireless broadband
devices.
[0004] With the proliferation of available media content, many
parents are concerned that their children may be watching programs
more suitable for adults. In response, the television industry
designed a TV ratings system to give parents more information about
the content and age-appropriateness of TV programs. These ratings,
called the TV Parental Guidelines, are modeled after the familiar
movie ratings.
[0005] The TV Parental Guidelines may be used by V-Chips, set-top
boxes, and similar devices to block objectionable programs or
channels. A V-Chip is a device built into most newer television
sets that electronically reads television-programming ratings and
allows parents or other adults to block objectionable programs. The
V-Chip works differently from TV to TV, depending on the
manufacturer. The set-up process for a V-Chip is typically found in
the TV's on-screen menu options or instruction manual and is
controlled through the TV's remote control.
[0006] Many set-top boxes implement media guidance applications
with advanced parental control capabilities not offered by V-Chips.
Features vary by manufacturer and model, but typically allow the
blocking of specific programs, all programs that are above a
selected TV rating, or even entire channels. Once a block has been
created with a V-Chip or set-top box, the programs or channels are
blocked until viewing is authorized by the entry of a Personal
Identification Number (PIN) or passcode.
[0007] Although the TV Parental Guidelines apply to all television
programs, including those directed specifically to young children,
they unfortunately do not currently apply to commercials, including
previews/promotions of other television programming. Therefore, it
is not uncommon for a preview of an adult program to be shown
during the broadcast of a children's program. This can even occur
when a V-Chip or set-top box has been programmed to prevent display
of that very same adult program. For example, a parent may set a
V-Chip or set-top box to prevent display of the TV program "CSI:
NY," but a commercial or preview for this very same program may
nevertheless be displayed during broadcast of a children's program.
Because previews for upcoming programs often highlight the most
violent and/or controversial portions of the programs to attract
viewers, they are often more inappropriate for children than the
actual programs. In addition to violent or otherwise inappropriate
previews, many parents also prefer that their children not watch
other types of commercials, such as those advertising alcohol,
sugary cereals, or video games. Unfortunately, known media systems
and methods do not permit the selective blocking of these and other
types of objectionable commercials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Embodiments of the present invention solve the
above-described problems and provide enhanced systems and methods
for blocking inappropriate or undesired media content.
Specifically, embodiments of the invention permit selective
blocking of commercials such as sponsor advertisements and program
previews and promotions.
[0009] To implement exemplary embodiments of the invention,
commercials are reviewed and assigned ratings similar to the TV
Parental Guideline ratings for TV programs. Metadata including one
or more flags identifying a commercial's rating may then be
embedded or inserted into media guidance application data for the
commercial or for the media content during which the commercial is
to be displayed. Commercials may instead be analyzed and classified
according to their content (e.g. alcohol ads, candy ads) or other
attribute. Metadata including one or more flags identifying a
commercial's content or other attribute may then be embedded or
inserted into media guidance application data for the commercial or
its corresponding media content.
[0010] The media guidance application data is then sent to a user
equipment device such as a television with a set-top box or a
computer with a video card. The equipment receives the media
guidance application data, parses the data for the metadata, and
then determines if the commercial can be displayed in accordance
with one or more of the embodiments discussed below.
[0011] Instead of gleaning a commercial's rating or content from
metadata, such information can be ascertained by analyzing closed
captioning data, recognizing certain spoken words or other audio,
or even recognizing certain images. A user equipment device may,
for example, analyze closed captioning data, recognize audio, or
recognize video to locate certain words such as "beer" or "alcohol"
or certain images such as liquor bottles, and then determine if the
commercial can be displayed in accordance with one or more of the
embodiments discussed below.
[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, a user is first provided with
the ability to set parental control restrictions for media content
and commercials. For example, the user may access a parental
control mode provided by a media guidance application implemented
with a set-top box and choose to block all media content and
commercials with a rating of TV-Y7 or higher. Alternatively, the
user may choose to block all commercials with a particular content,
such as commercials advertising alcohol. When a child (or anyone
else) requests to view a media content, the media content and
commercials to be displayed with the media content are analyzed to
determine if they violate the parental control restrictions. If
they do, they are blocked. The blocked commercials may be replaced
with more suitable commercials, a blank screen, music, or other
replacement media. Because both the media content and the
commercials are compared to the parental control restrictions, the
media content may be displayed if it does not violate the parental
control restrictions even if the commercials do.
[0013] In another exemplary embodiment, a rating of a media content
and a rating of a commercial scheduled to be displayed during the
media content are received and compared. For example, media
guidance application data for a media content may be received at a
set-top box and parsed to find the ratings of the media content
itself and the ratings of commercials scheduled to be displayed
with the media content. The ratings are then compared. If the
rating of any commercial is higher than the rating of the media
content, display of that commercial is blocked. This embodiment
permits the blocking of commercials without requiring a user to
first set parental control restrictions and therefore recognizes,
that despite their widespread availability, parental control
features are not always used because parents either do not know
they exist or do not want to take the time to learn how to use
them.
[0014] In another exemplary embodiment, a user sets parental
control restrictions to block selected programs or other media
content. When a child or anyone else subsequently requests to view
a media content, the parental control restrictions are consulted to
determine if the requested media content should be blocked. If the
media content has not been blocked, the commercials scheduled to be
displayed with the media content are analyzed. If the scheduled
commercials are previews or promotions for any of the blocked media
content, the commercials are also blocked. For example, if a user
sets a parental control restriction to block the program "CSI: NY,"
commercials containing promotions or previews of this program are
also blocked. This embodiment is helpful to users who are primarily
concerned with the display of inappropriate promotions and previews
during children's programming. Such previews and promotions are
automatically blocked when a parent or other user elects to block
the programs themselves.
[0015] These and other embodiments of the invention may be at least
partially implemented with an interactive media guidance
application. An interactive media guidance application allows a
user to more easily navigate through the wide array of media
content accessible by a typical user equipment device by displaying
media content listings. The media content listings may be
television program listings and may list the titles of television
programs, their broadcast times, and other relevant information. A
user may select to view the media content described by a listing by
highlighting the media content listing and pressing an "Enter" or
"Select" button on a remote control device or other input device.
The media guidance application then tunes a receiver to the
appropriate channel. An interactive media guidance application may
also perform one of several media guidance application functions on
content accessible by a user equipment device. These media guidance
application functions may include searching for desired content,
scheduling a selected content to be recorded, recording the
selected content to a local storage device or remote media server,
adding the selected content to a favorite programs list, setting a
reminder for the selected content, ordering the selected content
via an on-demand (e.g., video on-demand or VOD) or pay-per-view
(PPV) service, or any other suitable function.
[0016] These and other important aspects of the present invention
are described more fully in the detailed description below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above and other objects and advantages of the invention
will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout,
and in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative display screen that may be used
to provide media guidance application listings in accordance with
an embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 shows another illustrative display screen that may be
used to provide media guidance application listings in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 shows an illustrative user equipment device in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram of an illustrative interactive media
system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 5 shows an illustrative display screen that may be used
to select a parental control mode of a media guidance
application;
[0023] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative display screen that may be used
to select functions in a parental control mode;
[0024] FIG. 7 shows another illustrative display screen that may be
used to select functions in a parental control mode;
[0025] FIG. 8 shows yet another illustrative display screen that
may be used to select functions in a parental control mode;
[0026] FIG. 9 shows yet another illustrative display screen that
may be used to select functions in a parental control mode;
[0027] FIG. 10 shows yet another illustrative display screen that
may be used to select functions in a parental control mode;
[0028] FIG. 11 shows an illustrative display screen that may be
used to activate selected functions of a parental control mode;
[0029] FIG. 12 shows an illustrative process for blocking
commercials in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0030] FIG. 13 shows an illustrative process for blocking
commercials in accordance with another embodiment of the
invention;
[0031] FIG. 14 shows an illustrative process for blocking
commercials in accordance with yet another embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The amount of media available to users in any given media
delivery system can be substantial. Consequently, many users desire
a form of media guidance through an interface that allows users to
efficiently navigate media selections and easily identify media
that they may desire. An application which provides such guidance
is referred to herein as an interactive media guidance application
or, sometimes, a media guidance application or a guidance
application.
[0033] Interactive media guidance applications may take various
forms depending on the media for which they provide guidance. One
typical type of media guidance application is an interactive
television program guide. Interactive television program guides
(sometimes referred to as electronic program guides) are well-known
guidance applications that, among other things, allow users to
navigate among and locate many types of media content including
conventional television programming (provided via traditional
broadcast, cable, satellite, Internet, or other means), as well as
pay-per-view programs, on-demand programs (as in video-on-demand
(VOD) systems), Internet content (e.g., streaming media,
downloadable media, Webcasts, etc.), and other types of media or
video content. Guidance applications also allow users to navigate
among and locate content related to the video content including,
for example, video clips, articles, advertisements, chat sessions,
games, etc.
[0034] With the advent of the Internet, mobile computing, and
high-speed wireless networks, users are accessing media on personal
computers (PCs) and other devices on which they traditionally did
not, such as hand-held computers, personal digital assistants
(PDAs), mobile telephones, or other mobile devices. On these
devices users are able to navigate among and locate the same media
available through a television. Consequently, media guidance is
necessary on these devices, as well. The guidance provided may be
for media content available only through a television, for media
content available only through one or more of these devices, or for
media content available both through a television and one or more
of these devices. The media guidance applications may be provided
as on-line applications (i.e., provided on a web-site), or as
stand-alone applications or clients on hand-held computers, PDAs,
mobile telephones, or other mobile devices. The various devices and
platforms that may implement media guidance applications are
described in more detail below.
[0035] One of the functions of the media guidance application is to
provide media listings and media information to users. FIGS. 1-2
show illustrative display screens that may be used to provide media
guidance, and in particular media listings. The display screens
shown in FIGS. 1-2 and FIGS. 5-11 may be implemented on any
suitable device or platform. The displays of FIGS. 1-2 and FIGS.
5-11 may be full screen displays or may be fully or partially
overlaid over media content being displayed. A user may indicate a
desire to access media information by selecting a selectable option
provided in a display screen (e.g., a menu option, a listings
option, an icon, a hyperlink, etc.) or pressing a dedicated button
(e.g., a GUIDE button) on a remote control or other user input
interface or device. In response to the user's indication, the
media guidance application may provide a display screen with media
information organized in one of several ways, such as by time and
channel in a grid, by time, by channel, by media type, by category
(e.g., movies, sports, news, children, or other categories of
programming), or other predefined, user-defined, or other
organization criteria.
[0036] FIG. 1 shows illustrative grid program listings display 100
arranged by time and channel that also enables access to different
types of media content in a single display. Display 100 may include
grid 102 with: (1) a column of channel/media type identifiers 104,
where each channel/media type identifier (which is a cell in the
column) identifies a different channel or media type available; and
(2) a row of time identifiers 106, where each time identifier
(which is a cell in the row) identifies a time block of
programming. Grid 102 also includes cells of program listings, such
as program listing 108, where each listing provides the title of
the program provided on the listing's associated channel and time.
With a user input device, a user can select program listings by
moving highlight region 110. Information relating to the program
listing selected by highlight region 110 may be provided in program
information region 112. Region 112 may include, for example, the
program title, the program description, the time the program is
provided (if applicable), the channel the program is on (if
applicable), the program's rating, and other desired
information.
[0037] In addition to providing access to linear programming
provided according to a schedule, the media guidance application
also provides access to non-linear programming which is not
provided according to a schedule. Non-linear programming may
include content from different media sources including on-demand
media content (e.g., VOD), Internet content (e.g., streaming media,
downloadable media, etc.), locally stored media content (e.g.,
video content stored on a digital video recorder (DVR), digital
video disc (DVD), video cassette, compact disc (CD), etc.), or
other time-insensitive media content. On-demand content may include
both movies and original media content provided by a particular
media provider (e.g., HBO On Demand providing "The Sopranos" and
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"). HBO ON DEMAND, THE SOPRANOS, and CURB YOUR
ENTHUSIASM are trademarks owned by the Home Box Office, Inc.
Internet content may include web events, such as a chat session or
Webcast, or content available on-demand as streaming media or
downloadable media through an Internet web site or other Internet
access (e.g. FTP).
[0038] Grid 102 may provide listings for non-linear programming
including on-demand listing 114, recorded media listing 116, and
Internet content listing 118. A display combining listings for
content from different types of media sources is sometimes referred
to as a "mixed-media" display. The various permutations of the
types of listings that may be displayed that are different than
display 100 may be based on user selection or guidance application
definition (e.g., a display of only recorded and broadcast
listings, only on-demand and broadcast listings, etc.). As
illustrated, listings 114, 116, and 118 are shown as spanning the
entire time block displayed in grid 102 to indicate that selection
of these listings may provide access to a display dedicated to
on-demand listings, recorded listings, or Internet listings,
respectively. In other embodiments, listings for these media types
may be included directly in grid 102. Additional listings may be
displayed in response to the user selecting one of the navigational
icons 120. (Pressing an arrow key on a user input device may affect
the display in a similar manner as selecting navigational icons
120.)
[0039] Display 100 may also include video region 122, advertisement
124, and options region 126. Video region 122 may allow the user to
view and/or preview programs that are currently available, will be
available, or were available to the user. The content of video
region 122 may correspond to, or be independent from, one of the
listings displayed in grid 102. Grid displays including a video
region are sometimes referred to as picture-in-guide (PIG)
displays. PIG displays and their functionalities are described in
greater detail in Satterfield et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,378,
issued May 13, 2003 and Yuen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,794, issued
May 29, 2001, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in
their entireties. PIG displays may be included in other media
guidance application display screens of the present invention.
[0040] Advertisement 124 may provide an advertisement for media
content that, depending on a viewer's access rights (e.g., for
subscription programming), is currently available for viewing, will
be available for viewing in the future, or may never become
available for viewing, and may correspond to or be unrelated to one
or more of the media listings in grid 102. Advertisement 124 may
also be for products or services related or unrelated to the media
content displayed in grid 102. Advertisement 124 may be selectable
and provide further information about media content, provide
information about a product or a service, enable purchasing of
media content, a product, or a service, provide media content
relating to the advertisement, etc. Advertisement 124 may be
targeted based on a user's profile/preferences, monitored user
activity, the type of display provided, or on other suitable
targeted advertisement bases.
[0041] While advertisement 124 is shown as rectangular or banner
shaped, advertisements may be provided in any suitable size, shape,
and location in a guidance application display. For example,
advertisement 124 may be provided as a rectangular shape that is
horizontally adjacent to grid 102. This is sometimes referred to as
a panel advertisement. In addition, advertisements may be overlaid
over media content or a guidance application display or embedded
within a display. Advertisements may also include text, images,
rotating images, video clips, or other types of media content.
Advertisements may be stored in the user equipment with the
guidance application, in a database connected to the user
equipment, in a remote location (including streaming media
servers), or on other storage means or a combination of these
locations. Providing advertisements in a media guidance application
is discussed in greater detail in, for example, Knudson et al.,
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/347,673, filed Jan. 17, 2003,
Ward, III et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,997, issued Jun. 29, 2004, and
Schein et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,714, issued May 14, 2002, which
are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. It
will be appreciated that advertisements may be included in other
media guidance application display screens of the present
invention.
[0042] Options region 126 may allow the user to access different
types of media content, media guidance application displays, and/or
media guidance application features. Options region 126 may be part
of display 100 (and other display screens of the present
invention), or may be invoked by a user by selecting an on-screen
option or pressing a dedicated or assignable button on a user input
device. The selectable options within options region 126 may
concern features related to program listings in grid 102 or may
include options available from a main menu display. Features
related to program listings may include searching for other air
times or ways of receiving a program, recording a program, enabling
series recording of a program, setting program and/or channel as a
favorite, purchasing a program, or other features. Options
available from a main menu display may include search options, VOD
options, parental control options, access to various types of
listing displays, subscribe to a premium service, edit a user's
profile, access a browse overlay, or other options.
[0043] The media guidance application may be personalized based on
a user's preferences. A personalized media guidance application
allows a user to customize displays and features to create a
personalized "experience" with the media guidance application. This
personalized experience may be created by allowing a user to input
these customizations and/or by the media guidance application
monitoring user activity to determine various user preferences.
Users may access their personalized guidance application by logging
in or otherwise identifying themselves to the guidance application.
Customization of the media guidance application may be made in
accordance with a user profile. The customizations may include
varying presentation schemes (e.g., color scheme of displays, font
size of text, etc.), aspects of media content listings displayed
(e.g., only HDTV programming, user-specified broadcast channels
based on favorite channel selections, re-ordering the display of
channels, recommended media content, etc.), desired recording
features (e.g., recording or series recordings for particular
users, recording quality, etc.), parental control settings, and
other desired customizations.
[0044] The media guidance application may allow a user to provide
user profile information or may automatically compile user profile
information. The media guidance application may, for example,
monitor the media the user accesses and/or other interactions the
user may have with the guidance application. Additionally, the
media guidance application may obtain all or part of other user
profiles that are related to a particular user (e.g., from other
web sites on the Internet the user accesses, such as
www.tvguide.com, from other media guidance applications the user
accesses, from other interactive applications the user accesses,
from a handheld device of the user, etc.), and/or obtain
information about the user from other sources that the media
guidance application may access. As a result, a user can be
provided with a unified guidance application experience across the
user's different devices. This type of user experience is described
in greater detail below in connection with FIG. 4. Additional
personalized media guidance application features are described in
greater detail in Ellis et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/179,410, filed Jul. 11, 2005, Boyer et al., U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/437,304, filed Nov. 9, 1999, and Ellis et
al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/105,128, filed Feb. 21,
2002, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties.
[0045] Another display arrangement for providing media guidance is
shown in FIG. 2. Video mosaic display 200 includes selectable
options 202 for media content information organized based on media
type, genre, and/or other organization criteria. In display 200,
television listings option 204 is selected, thus providing listings
206, 208, 210, and 212 as broadcast program listings. Unlike the
listings from FIG. 1, the listings in display 200 are not limited
to simple text (e.g., the program title) and icons to describe
media. Rather, in display 200 the listings may provide graphical
images including cover art, still images from the media content,
video clip previews, live video from the media content, or other
types of media that indicate to a user the media content being
described by the listing. Each of the graphical listings may also
be accompanied by text to provide further information about the
media content associated with the listing. For example, listing 208
may include more than one portion, including media portion 214 and
text portion 216. Media portion 214 and/or text portion 216 may be
selectable to view video in full-screen or to view program listings
related to the video displayed in media portion 214 (e.g., to view
listings for the channel that the video is displayed on).
[0046] The listings in display 200 are of different sizes (i.e.,
listing 206 is larger than listings 208, 210, and 212), but if
desired, all the listings may be the same size. Listings may be of
different sizes or graphically accentuated to indicate degrees of
interest to the user or to emphasize certain content, as desired by
the media provider or based on user preferences. Various systems
and methods for graphically accentuating media listings are
discussed in, for example, Yates, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/324,202, filed Dec. 29, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
[0047] Another function of the media guidance application is to
provide a parental control mode that permits parents and other
users to block objectionable media content, commercials, and even
entire channels. Various systems and methods for blocking
television programming are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,547,
which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Embodiments of novel parental control methods and systems in
accordance with the present invention are described in more detail
below.
[0048] Users may access media content and the media guidance
application (and its display screens described above and below)
from one or more of their user equipment devices. The user
equipment devices may be personal computers, televisions, or any
other devices. For example, one user equipment device may be a
personal computer provided with a tuner card that allows TV signals
to be displayed on the computer monitor. The user equipment device
may also be television equipment with a set-top box or receiver
that permits access to the Internet via a cable connection phone
line, or other communication line.
[0049] FIG. 3 shows a generalized embodiment of illustrative user
equipment device 300. More specific implementations of user
equipment devices are discussed below in connection with FIG. 4.
User equipment device 300 may receive media content and data via
input/output (hereinafter "I/O") path 302. I/O path 302 may provide
media content (e.g., broadcast programming, on-demand programming,
Internet content, and other video or audio) and data to control
circuitry 304, which includes processing circuitry 306 and storage
308. Control circuitry 304 may be used to send and receive
commands, requests, and other suitable data using I/O path 302. I/O
path 302 may connect control circuitry 304 (and specifically
processing circuitry 306) to one or more communications paths
(described below). I/O functions may be provided by one or more of
these communications paths, but are shown as a single path in FIG.
3 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing.
[0050] Control circuitry 304 may be based on any suitable
processing circuitry 306 such as one or more microprocessors,
microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic
devices, etc. In some embodiments, control circuitry 304 executes
instructions for a media guidance application stored in memory
(i.e., storage 308). In client-server based embodiments, control
circuitry 304 may include communications circuitry suitable for
communicating with a guidance application server or other networks
or servers. Communications circuitry may include a cable modem, an
integrated services digital network (ISDN) modem, a digital
subscriber line (DSL) modem, a telephone modem, or a wireless modem
for communications with other equipment. Such communications may
involve the Internet or any other suitable communications networks
or paths (which is described in more detail in connection with FIG.
4). In addition, communications circuitry may include circuitry
that enables peer-to-peer communication of user equipment devices,
or communication of user equipment devices in locations remote from
each other (described in more detail below).
[0051] Memory (e.g., random-access memory, read-only memory, or any
other suitable memory), hard drives, optical drives, or any other
suitable fixed or removable storage devices (e.g., DVD recorder, CD
recorder, video cassette recorder, or other suitable recording
device) may be provided as storage 308 that is part of control
circuitry 304. Storage 308 may include one or more of the above
types of storage devices. For example, user equipment device 300
may include a hard drive for a DVR (sometimes called a personal
video recorder, or PVR) and a DVD recorder as a secondary storage
device. Storage 308 may be used to store various types of media
described herein and guidance application data, including program
information, guidance application settings, user preferences or
profile information, or other data used in operating the guidance
application. Nonvolatile memory may also be used (e.g., to launch a
boot-up routine and other instructions).
[0052] Control circuitry 304 may include video generating circuitry
and tuning circuitry, such as one or more analog tuners, one or
more MPEG-2 decoders or other digital decoding circuitry,
high-definition tuners, or any other suitable tuning or video
circuits or combinations of such circuits. Encoding circuitry
(e.g., for converting over-the-air, analog, or digital signals to
MPEG signals for storage) may also be provided. Control circuitry
304 may also include scaler circuitry for upconverting and
downconverting media into the preferred output format of the user
equipment 300. Circuitry 304 may also include digital-to-analog
converter circuitry and analog-to-digital converter circuitry for
converting between digital and analog signals. The tuning and
encoding circuitry may be used by the user equipment to receive and
to display, to play, or to record media content. The tuning and
encoding circuitry may also be used to receive guidance data. The
circuitry described herein, including for example, the tuning,
video generating, encoding, decoding, scaler, and analog/digital
circuitry, may be implemented using software running on one or more
general purpose or specialized processors. Multiple tuners may be
provided to handle simultaneous tuning functions (e.g., watch and
record functions, picture-in-picture (PIP) functions,
multiple-tuner recording, etc.). If storage 308 is provided as a
separate device from user equipment 300, the tuning and encoding
circuitry (including multiple tuners) may be associated with
storage 308.
[0053] A user may control the control circuitry 304 using user
input interface 310. User input interface 310 may be any suitable
user interface, such as a remote control, mouse, trackball, keypad,
keyboard, touch screen, touch pad, stylus input, joystick, voice
recognition interface, or other user input interfaces. Display 312
may be provided as a stand-alone device or integrated with other
elements of user equipment device 300. Display 312 may be one or
more of a monitor, a television, a liquid crystal display (LCD) for
a mobile device, or any other suitable equipment for displaying
visual images. In some embodiments, display 312 may be
HDTV-capable. Speakers 314 may be provided as integrated with other
elements of user equipment device 300 or may be stand-alone units.
The audio component of videos and other media content displayed on
display 312 may be played through speakers 314. In some
embodiments, the audio may be distributed to a receiver (not
shown), which processes and outputs the audio via speakers 314.
[0054] User equipment device 300 of FIG. 3 can be implemented in
system 400 of FIG. 4 as user television equipment 402, user
computer equipment 404, wireless user communications device 406, or
any other type of user equipment suitable for accessing media, such
as a non-portable gaming machine. For simplicity, these devices may
be referred to herein collectively as user equipment or user
equipment devices. User equipment devices, on which a media
guidance application is implemented, may function as a standalone
device or may be part of a network of devices. Various network
configurations of devices may be implemented and are discussed in
more detail below.
[0055] User television equipment 402 may include a set-top box, an
integrated receiver decoder (IRD) for handling satellite
television, a television set, a digital storage device, a DVD
recorder, a video-cassette recorder (VCR), a local media server, or
other user television equipment. One or more of these devices may
be integrated to be a single device, if desired. User computer
equipment 404 may include a PC, a laptop, a tablet, a WebTV box, a
personal computer television (PC/TV), a PC media server, a PC media
center, or other user computer equipment. WEBTV is a trademark
owned by Microsoft Corp. Wireless user communications device 406
may include PDAs, a mobile telephone, a portable video player, a
portable music player, a portable gaming machine, or other wireless
devices.
[0056] It should be noted that with the advent of television tuner
cards for PC's, WebTV, and the integration of video into other user
equipment devices, the lines have become blurred when trying to
classify a device as one of the above devices. In fact, each of
user television equipment 402, user computer equipment 404, and
wireless user communications device 406 may utilize at least some
of the system features described above in connection with FIG. 3
and, as a result, include flexibility with respect to the type of
media content available on the device. For example, user television
equipment 402 may be Internet-enabled allowing for access to
Internet content, while user computer equipment 404 may include a
tuner allowing for access to television programming. The media
guidance application may also have the same layout on the various
different types of user equipment or may be tailored to the display
capabilities of the user equipment. For example, on user computer
equipment, the guidance application may be provided as a web site
accessed by a web browser. In another example, the guidance
application may be scaled down for wireless user communications
devices.
[0057] In system 400, there is typically more than one of each type
of user equipment device but only one of each is shown in FIG. 4 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing. In addition, each user may
utilize more than one type of user equipment device (e.g., a user
may have a television set and a computer) and also more than one of
each type of user equipment device (e.g., a user may have a PDA and
a mobile telephone and/or multiple television sets).
[0058] The user may also set various settings to maintain
consistent media guidance application settings across in-home
devices and remote devices. Settings include those described
herein, as well as channel and program favorites, programming
preferences that the guidance application utilizes to make
programming recommendations, display preferences, and other
desirable guidance settings. For example, if a user sets a channel
as a favorite on, for example, the web site www.tvguide.com on
their personal computer at their office, the same channel would
appear as a favorite on the user's in-home devices (e.g., user
television equipment and user computer equipment) as well as the
user's mobile devices, if desired. Therefore, changes made on one
user equipment device can change the guidance experience on another
user equipment device, regardless of whether they are the same or a
different type of user equipment device. In addition, the changes
made may be based on settings input by a user, as well as user
activity monitored by the guidance application.
[0059] The user equipment devices may be coupled to communications
network 414. Namely, user television equipment 402, user computer
equipment 404, and wireless user communications device 406 are
coupled to communications network 414 via communications paths 408,
410, and 412, respectively. Communications network 414 may be one
or more networks including the Internet, a mobile phone network,
mobile device (e.g., Blackberry) network, cable network, public
switched telephone network, or other types of communications
network or combinations of communications networks. BLACKBERRY is a
trademark owned by Research In Motion Limited Corp. Paths 408, 410,
and 412 may separately or together include one or more
communications paths, such as, a satellite path, a fiber-optic
path, a cable path, a path that supports Internet communications
(e.g., IPTV), free-space connections (e.g., for broadcast or other
wireless signals), or any other suitable wired or wireless
communications path or combination of such paths. Path 412 is drawn
with dotted lines to indicate that in the exemplary embodiment
shown in FIG. 4 it is a wireless path and paths 408 and 410 are
drawn as solid lines to indicate they are wired paths (although
these paths may be wireless paths, if desired). Communications with
the user equipment devices may be provided by one or more of these
communications paths, but are shown as a single path in FIG. 4 to
avoid overcomplicating the drawing.
[0060] Although communications paths are not drawn between user
equipment devices, these devices may communicate directly with each
other via communication paths, such as those described above in
connection with paths 408, 410, and 412, as well other short-range
point-to-point communication paths, such as USB cables, IEEE 1394
cables, wireless paths (e.g., Bluetooth, infrared, IEEE 802-11x,
etc.), or other short-range communication via wired or wireless
paths. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, INC. The
user equipment devices may also communicate with each other
directly through an indirect path via communications network
414.
[0061] System 400 includes media content source 416 and media
guidance data source 418 coupled to communications network 414 via
communication paths 420 and 422, respectively. Paths 420 and 422
may include any of the communication paths described above in
connection with paths 408, 410, and 412. Communications with the
media content source 416 and media guidance data source 418 may be
exchanged over one or more communications paths, but are shown as a
single path in FIG. 4 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. In
addition, there may be more than one of each of media content
source 416 and media guidance data source 418, but only one of each
is shown in FIG. 4 to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. (The
different types of each of these sources are discussed below.) If
desired, media content source 416 and media guidance data source
418 may be integrated as one or two source devices. Although
communications between sources 416 and 418 with user equipment
devices 402, 404, and 406 are shown as through communications
network 414, in some embodiments, sources 416 and 418 may
communicate directly with user equipment devices 402, 404, and 406
via communication paths (not shown) such as those described above
in connection with paths 408, 410, and 412.
[0062] Media content source 416 may include one or more types of
media distribution equipment including a television distribution
facility, cable system headend, satellite distribution facility,
programming sources (e.g., television broadcasters, such as NBC,
ABC, HBO, etc.), intermediate distribution facilities and/or
servers, Internet providers, on-demand media servers, and other
media content providers. NBC is a trademark owned by the National
Broadcasting Company, Inc., ABC is a trademark owned by the ABC,
INC., and HBO is a trademark owned by the Home Box Office, Inc.
Media content source 416 may be the originator of media content
(e.g., a television broadcaster, a Webcast provider, etc.) or may
not be the originator of media content (e.g., an on-demand media
content provider, an Internet provider of video content of
broadcast programs for downloading, etc.). Media content source 416
may include cable sources, satellite providers, on-demand
providers, Internet providers, or other providers of media content.
Media content source 416 may also include a remote media server
used to store different types of media content (including video
content selected by a user), in a location remote from any of the
user equipment devices. Systems and methods for remote storage of
media content, and providing remotely stored media content to user
equipment are discussed in greater detail in connection with Ellis
et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/332,244, filed Jun. 11,
1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0063] Media guidance data source 418 may provide media guidance
data, such as media listings, media-related information (e.g.,
broadcast times, broadcast channels, media titles, media
descriptions, ratings information (e.g., parental control ratings,
critic's ratings, etc.), genre or category information, actor
information, logo data for broadcasters' or providers' logos,
etc.), media format (e.g., standard definition, high definition,
etc.), advertisement information (e.g., text, images, media clips,
etc.), on-demand information, and any other type of guidance data
that is helpful for a user to navigate among and locate desired
media selections.
[0064] Media guidance application data may be provided to the user
equipment devices using any suitable approach. In some embodiments,
the guidance application may be a stand-alone interactive
television program guide that receives program guide data via a
data feed (e.g., a continuous feed, trickle feed, or data in the
vertical blanking interval of a channel).
[0065] Program schedule data and other guidance data may be
provided to the user equipment on a television channel sideband, in
the vertical blanking interval of a television channel, using an
in-band digital signal, using an out-of-band digital signal, or by
any other suitable data transmission technique. Program schedule
data and other guidance data may be provided to user equipment on
multiple analog or digital television channels. Program schedule
data and other guidance data may be provided to the user equipment
with any suitable frequency (e.g., continuously, daily, a
user-specified period of time, a system-specified period of time,
in response to a request from user equipment, etc.). In some
approaches, guidance data from media guidance data source 418 may
be provided to users' equipment using a client-server approach. For
example, a guidance application client residing on the user
equipment device 300 may initiate sessions with source 418 to
obtain guidance data when needed. Media guidance data source 418
may provide user equipment devices 402, 404, and 406 the media
guidance application itself or software updates for the media
guidance application.
[0066] Media guidance applications may be, for example, stand-alone
applications implemented on user equipment devices. In other
embodiments, media guidance applications may be client-server
applications where only the client resides on the user equipment
device. For example, media guidance applications may be implemented
partially as a client application on control circuitry 304 of user
equipment device 300 and partially on a remote server as a server
application (e.g., media guidance data source 418). The guidance
application displays may be generated by the media guidance data
source 418 and transmitted to the user equipment devices. The media
guidance data source 418 may also transmit data for storage on the
user equipment, which then generates the guidance application
displays based on instructions processed by control circuitry.
[0067] Media guidance system 400 is intended to illustrate a number
of approaches, or network configurations, by which user equipment
devices and sources of media content and guidance data may
communicate with each other for the purpose of accessing media and
providing media guidance. The present invention may be applied in
any one or a subset of these approaches, or in a system employing
other approaches for delivering media and providing media guidance.
The following three approaches provide specific illustrations of
the generalized example of FIG. 4.
[0068] In one approach, user equipment devices may communicate with
each other within a home network. User equipment devices can
communicate with each other directly via short-range point-to-point
communication schemes describe above, via indirect paths through a
hub or other similar device provided on a home network, or via
communications network 414. Each of the multiple individuals in a
single home may operate different user equipment devices on the
home network. As a result, it may be desirable for various media
guidance information or settings to be communicated between the
different user equipment devices. For example, it may be desirable
for users to maintain consistent media guidance application
settings on different user equipment devices within a home network,
as described in greater detail in Ellis et al., U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/179,410, filed Jul. 11, 2005. Different
types of user equipment devices in a home network may also
communicate with each other to transmit media content. For example,
a user may transmit media content from user computer equipment to a
portable video player or portable music player.
[0069] In a second approach, users may have multiple types of user
equipment by which they access media content and obtain media
guidance. For example, some users may have home networks that are
accessed by in-home and mobile devices. Users may control in-home
devices via a media guidance application implemented on a remote
device. For example, users may access an online media guidance
application on a website via a personal computer at their office,
or a mobile device such as a PDA or web-enabled mobile telephone.
The user may set various settings (e.g., recordings, reminders, or
other settings) on the online guidance application to control the
user's in-home equipment. The online guide may control the user
equipment device 300 directly, or by communicating with a media
guidance application on the user's in-home equipment. Various
systems and methods for user equipment devices communicating, where
the user equipment devices are in locations remote from each other,
is discussed in, for example, Ellis et al., U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 10/927,814, filed Aug. 26, 2004, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0070] In a third approach, users of user equipment devices inside
and outside a home can use their media guidance application to
communicate directly with media content source 416 to access media
content. Specifically, within a home, users of user television
equipment 404 and user computer equipment 406 may access the media
guidance application to navigate among and locate desirable media
content. Users may also access the media guidance application
outside of the home using wireless user communications devices 406
to navigate among and locate desirable media content.
[0071] The above-described media guidance application, user
equipment device 300, system 400, or similar devices and equipment
may be used to implement systems and methods for blocking
inappropriate or undesired commercials displayed during the
broadcast or other showings of media content. The blocked
commercials may include sponsor advertisements, previews or
promotions for upcoming media content, or any other type of
advertising.
[0072] To implement embodiments of the invention, commercials may
be reviewed and assigned ratings the same or similar to the TV
Parental Guideline ratings for TV programs. The ratings may
include, for example, the following categories: TV-Y (All
Children), TV-Y7 (Directed to Older Children), TV-Y7-FV (Directed
to Older Children and Fantasy Violence), TV-G (General Audience),
TV-PG (Parental Guidance Suggested), TV-14 (Parents Strongly
Cautioned), and TV-MA (Mature Audiences Only). Metadata including
one or more flags identifying a commercial's rating may then be
embedded or inserted into media guidance application data for the
commercial or for the media content during which the commercial is
to be displayed.
[0073] The metadata may also describe attributes of a commercial
other than its rating. For example, the metadata may identify a
category or type of commercial (e.g. sponsor advertisement,
promotion or premiere for a program), a commercial's sponsor (e.g.
a particular company or brand), or even a commercial's content
(e.g. beer commercial, candy commercial, etc.)
[0074] The media guidance application data, including the metadata
describing the ratings or other attributes for the commercials, are
then sent to the user equipment device 300. The user equipment
device 300 receives the media guidance application data, parses the
data for the commercials' rating or attribute metadata, and then
determines if the commercials can be displayed in accordance with
one or more of the embodiments discussed below.
[0075] Instead of gleaning a commercial's rating or content from
metadata, such information can be ascertained by analyzing closed
captioning data, audio components, or even video components, of a
commercial as described below.
[0076] In one exemplary embodiment, a user is first provided with
the ability to set parental control restrictions for media content
and commercials. For example, the user may access a parental
control mode provided by a media guidance application implemented
with a set-top box and choose to block all media content and
commercials with a rating of TV-Y7 or higher. Alternatively, the
user may choose to block commercials with a particular content,
such as alcohol commercials, or all previews/promotions. When a
child (or anyone else) requests to view a media content, the media
content and commercials scheduled to be displayed with the media
content are compared to the parental control restrictions. If they
violate the restrictions, they are blocked. The blocked commercials
may be replaced with more suitable commercials, a blank screen,
music, a program trailer, a cartoon, graphics, a still-photo, or
any other replacement media. Because both the media content and the
commercials are compared to the parental control restrictions, the
media content may be displayed even if the commercials are
blocked.
[0077] In another exemplary embodiment, a rating of a media content
and a rating of a commercial scheduled to be displayed during the
media content are received and compared. For example, media
guidance application data for a media content may be received at a
set-top box and parsed to find the ratings of the media content
itself and the ratings of the commercials scheduled to be displayed
with the media content. The ratings are then compared. If the
rating of any commercial is higher than the media content rating,
display of that commercial is blocked. This embodiment permits the
automatic blocking of commercials without requiring a user to first
set parental control restrictions.
[0078] In another exemplary embodiment, a user sets parental
control restrictions to block selected programs or other media
content. When a child or anyone else subsequently requests to view
a media content, the parental control restrictions are consulted to
determine if the requested media content should be blocked. If the
media content has not been blocked, the commercials scheduled to be
displayed with the media content are analyzed. If the scheduled
commercials are previews or promotions for any of the blocked media
content, the commercials are also blocked. For example, if a user
blocks display of the programs "Sex and the City" and "American
Idol," promotions or previews of these programs will also be
blocked. This embodiment is helpful to users who are primarily
concerned with the display of inappropriate promotions and previews
during children's programming. Such previews and promotions are
automatically blocked when a parent or other user elects to block
the programs themselves.
[0079] These and other embodiments of the invention may be at least
partially implemented with the user equipment device 300, system
400, and interactive media guidance application described
above.
[0080] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary menu display screen 500 that
may be used to access a parental control mode provided by the media
guidance application. The display screen 500 may be displayed
whenever a user presses a Menu button or other button on the user
input interface 310 or other control device. The display screen 500
may include a Menu region 502 for displaying menu options, a Media
Content region 504 for displaying TV programs or other media
content, and an Advertising region 506 for displaying
advertisements. The Menu region 502 may include selections for
Settings 508, Search 510, Favorites 512, Parental Controls 514, and
possibly other menu categories. A user may navigate between any of
these selections with the user input interface 310. For example,
the user may press the arrows or other buttons on the user input
interface 310 to move a highlight or bold region (which is shown on
the Parental Controls selection 514) about the display screen 500
and may then press an Enter button or similar button to enable the
highlighted selection.
[0081] After selecting the Parental Controls selection 514 in FIG.
5, the user may be presented with a listing of parental control
options. For example, an exemplary menu screen 600 shown in FIG. 6
may be displayed. Menu screen 600 may include a Menu region 602 for
displaying menu options, a Media Content region 604 for displaying
TV programs or other media content, and an Advertising region 606
for displaying advertisements. The Menu region 602 may include
selections for Edit Settings 608, Lock Now 610, and possibly other
categories. Again, a user may navigate between the selections and
pick one by placing a highlight region over the requested selection
and pressing Enter or another button on the user input interface
310.
[0082] After selecting the Edit Settings selection 608 from menu
screen 600, the user may be presented with a listing of particular
parental control settings. For example, an exemplary display screen
700 such as the one illustrated in FIG. 7 may be displayed. Display
screen 700 may include a Parental Control Category region 702 and a
Parental Control Settings region 704. The Parental Control Category
region 702 may include selections for Ratings Block 706, Program
Block 708, Channel Block 710, Spending Block 712, Hours Block 714,
and Done 716.
[0083] The Ratings Block selection 706 allows for the blocking of
selected media content based on ratings as discussed in more detail
below. The Program Block selection 708 allows for the blocking of
particular programs or other media content independent of their
ratings. The Channel Block selection 710 allows for the blocking of
entire channels. The Spending Block selection 712 allows for the
entry of a spending limit (e.g. $10, $50, etc.) for pay-per-view
movies and other paid-for media content. The Hours Block selection
714 allows for the blocking of media content broadcast or otherwise
displayed during particular hours (e.g. 12:00 AM to 8:00 AM). The
Done selection 716 simply exits the display screen 700.
[0084] The information displayed in the Parental Control Settings
region 704 depends upon which selection is chosen in the Parental
Control Category region 702. For example, if the Ratings Block
selection 706 is chosen as shown in FIG. 7, the Parental Control
Settings region 704 may include several boxes, buttons, and other
selectable items that permit a user to block particular media
content based on ratings. Specifically, region 704 may include a
Movie selection box 718, a TV selection box 720, and a Commercials
selection box 722. The Movie selection box 718 permits the blocking
of selected movies, the TV selection box 720 permits the blocking
of selected TV programs, and the Commercials selection box 722
permits the blocking of selected commercials. A user may navigate
between these boxes as discussed above and select one by
highlighting it and pressing Enter on the user input interface
310.
[0085] The Parental Control Settings region 704 displayed when the
Ratings Block selection 706 is chosen may also include a number of
selectable boxes that indicate the allowed ratings for particular
movies, TV programs, or commercials. The selectable boxes may
include a box 724 for allowing or blocking TV-Y rated media
content, a box 726 for allowing or blocking TV-Y7 rated media
content, a box 728 for allowing or blocking TV-G rated media
content, a box 730 for allowing or blocking TV-PG rated media
content, a box 732 for allowing or blocking TV-14 rated media
content, and a box 734 for allowing or blocking TV-MA rated media
content.
[0086] To enter ratings-based parental restrictions in display
screen 700, a user selects the Ratings Block selection 706, then
either the Movie selection box 718, TV selection box 720, or
Commercials selection box 722, and then checks or otherwise selects
the boxes 724-734 to pick either "allow" or "block." For example,
display screen 700 indicates that a user has decided to allow all
TV programming with a TV-Y, TV-Y7, or TV-G rating, and to block all
TV programs with higher ratings.
[0087] If the user selects the Commercials selection box 722 in
FIG. 7, a screen that permits the user to set ratings-based blocks
for commercials may be displayed. For example, a display screen 800
such as the one shown in FIG. 8 may be displayed. Display screen
800 is similar to display screen 700 except that it permits the
user to enter ratings-based parental restrictions for commercials
instead of TV programs. Display screen 800 indicates that a user
has decided to allow all commercials with a TV-Y, TV-Y7, or TV-G
rating, and to block all commercials with higher ratings.
[0088] Commercials may also be blocked by criteria other than their
ratings. For example, commercials may be blocked based on their
categories (e.g. all promotions or premieres may be blocked), their
sponsor (e.g. all commercials of a particular company or type of
company may be blocked), or their content (e.g. all commercials for
candy, cookies, etc. may be blocked).
[0089] Commercials may also be blocked according to keywords
entered by a parent or other person. For example, all commercials
with text or audio referencing the keywords "beer," "liquor,"
"alcohol," "wine," etc. may be blocked. Parents or other users may
enter the keywords with the assistance of the media guidance
application or may choose keywords from a list of keywords.
[0090] FIG. 9 illustrates another exemplary display screen 900 for
blocking commercials. Display screen 900 may be displayed instead
of display screen 800 when the Commercials selection box 722 or 822
is chosen. In addition to selections 906-922, which are essentially
the same as selections 806-822 of display screen 800, display
screen 900 may also include a selection box 924 that automatically
sets the commercials block to be the same as the TV block. For
example, if the user selects to block all TV-PG and higher TV
programs with display screen 700, selection box 924 will
automatically block all TV-PG and higher rated commercials. This
allows a user to quickly and easily set commercial blocks that
mirror TV blocks.
[0091] Display screen 900 may also include a selection box 926 that
blocks all premieres, previews, etc. for media content. This
feature may be used to block premieres, etc. even if no other
parental restrictions, such as ratings-based restrictions, are
set.
[0092] Display screen 900 may also include selection box 928 that
blocks all commercials with a particular content (e.g. liquor or
candy commercials). Again, this feature may be used to block
certain commercials even if no other parental restrictions are
set.
[0093] The content of commercials may be ascertained by analyzing
closed captioning data. Most television programs and commercials
are broadcast with closed captioning data so that speech in the
programs and commercials can be reproduced as text. Embodiments of
the invention compare this closed captioning data to parental
control restrictions to block commercials with objectionable
content. For example, a parent or other user may set a parental
control restriction to block all commercials relating to alcohol.
During display of a media content and commercials, the user
equipment 300 analyzes closed captioning data in real-time, or near
real-time, and searches for prohibited words such as alcohol, beer,
wine, vodka, Budweiser, Miller, Coors, etc. If any prohibited word
is discovered in a commercial's closed captioning data, the user
equipment blocks further display of the commercial.
[0094] Similarly, related embodiments may analyze the audio
components of a commercial in real-time or near real-time in an
attempt to detect prohibited spoken words or other prohibited
audio. For example, speech or audio recognition software may
monitor a commercial in an attempt to identify the spoken words
"beer" or "alcohol." Other embodiments may perform visual
recognition techniques to identify prohibited images such as
alcohol bottles or nudity. If any prohibited words or images are
detected, the user equipment blocks further display of the
commercial.
[0095] The display screen 900 may even include a selection box 930
that allows a user to block individually selected commercials.
Selection box 930 may be linked to another display screen that
lists all known commercials by title or by some other identifier. A
user may then select particular commercials from the list to block.
Alternatively, selection box 930 may permit the user to type in the
names of particular commercials to block.
[0096] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary display screen 1000 that
permits a user to choose how to replace blocked commercials. In
addition to selections 1006-1022, which are essentially the same as
selections 806-822 of display screen 800, display screen 1000 may
include a selection box 1024 that replaces blocked commercials with
a blank screen, a selection box 1026 that replaces blocked
commercials with more suitable commercials (e.g. commercials with
ratings equal to or lower than the rating of the currently
displayed media content, and a selection box 1028 that replaces
blocked commercials with music or any other selected replacement
media.
[0097] Once parental restrictions have been entered as described
above, the user may save them or edit them by entering a passcode.
For example, a display screen 1100 such as the one shown in FIG. 11
may be displayed. A user may enter and re-enter a passcode or other
password or ID in the boxes 1102 in a conventional manner with the
user input interface 310. The entered parental control restrictions
may then be consulted whenever a user requests to view a media
content as discussed herein to determine whether commercials
accompanying the media content should be blocked.
[0098] FIG. 12 shows an exemplary process 1200 for blocking
selected commercials using some of the display screens and other
techniques described above. In step 1202, parental control
restrictions are received. The parental control restrictions may be
received by a set-top box of the user equipment device 300 and may
be entered with the display screens 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and
1000 of FIGS. 5-10.
[0099] In step 1204, the rating of a commercial is detected. A
commercial's rating may be provided in metadata accompanying media
application data sent to the user equipment as described above or
detected by any other suitable means or methods.
[0100] In step 1206, the commercial's rating is compared to the
parental control restrictions received in step 1202. Step 1208 then
determines if the commercial should be blocked based on step 1206.
For example, if step 1206 determines that the commercial's rating
is TV-G or higher, but the parental control restrictions restrict
commercials with a rating of TV-Y7 or higher, step 1208 marks or
otherwise identifies the commercial as unacceptable. When it comes
time to display the commercial, step 1210 blocks it and replaces it
with a blank screen, an acceptable commercial, music, or any other
replacement media. If, however, step 1206 determines that the
commercial's rating is equal to or lower than the parental control
restrictions, step 1208 marks or otherwise identifies the
commercial as acceptable and allows it to be displayed in step
1212. Process 1200 may also block commercials based on attributes
other than ratings. For example, the parental restrictions received
in step 1202 may relate to the content of commercials, the sponsors
of commercials, or the types of commercials as discussed above.
[0101] FIG. 13 shows another exemplary process 1300 for blocking
selected commercials. In step 1302, the rating of a media content
is detected. A media content's rating may be provided in metadata
accompanying the media guidance application data sent to the user
equipment.
[0102] In step 1304, the rating of a commercial to be displayed
along with the media content is detected. A commercial's rating may
be provided in metadata accompanying media application data for the
commercial or for the related media content or may be detected by
any other suitable means or methods.
[0103] In step 1306, the commercial's rating is compared to the
media content's rating. Step 1308 then determines if the commercial
should be blocked based on step 1306. For example, if step 1306
determines that the commercial's rating is higher than the media
content's rating, step 1308 marks or otherwise identifies the
commercial as unacceptable. Step 1310 then blocks the commercial
and replaces it with a blank screen, an acceptable commercial,
music, or other replacement media. If, however, step 1306
determines that the commercial's rating is equal to or lower than
the media content's rating, step 1308 marks or otherwise identifies
the commercial as acceptable and allows it to be displayed in step
1312.
[0104] FIG. 14 shows another exemplary process 1400 for blocking
selected commercials. In step 1402, a request to block particular
media content is received. A user may elect to block particular
media content such as TV programs by displaying a media content
listing with the media guidance application. The media content
listing may be a television program listing 108 such as the one
shown in FIG. 1 and may list the title of the television program,
its broadcast time, and other relevant information. A user may
select to block a media content by highlighting a corresponding
listing and pressing a Block button or similar button on a remote
control device or other input device. Alternatively, the user may
select the Program Block selection 708 from display 700 and then
pick particular programs to block.
[0105] In step 1404, media application data is received by the user
equipment device 300. Step 1406 then detects the type or category
of commercials scheduled to be displayed with the media content by
parsing the media application data.
[0106] Step 1408 then compares the identified commercials to the
list of blocked media content to determine if any of the
commercials are promotions or premieres for the any of the blocked
media content.
[0107] Step 1410 then prevents the display of such promotions or
premieres for blocked media content and replaces them with more
suitable commercials, blank screens, etc. Users also may customize
the level of blocking in various degrees; for example, a user may
choose to "always block commercials promoting restricted content",
or "allow viewing of commercials promoting blocked content, only if
the rating of the commercial is not restricted", etc.
[0108] The parental control restrictions for commercials, TV
programs, movies, and other media content may be disabled upon
entry of a legitimate passcode. For example, each time a user
attempts to display a prohibited media content, the display screen
1100 shown in FIG. 11 may be presented. If the user enters a valid
passcode, the media guidance application then tunes a receiver or
other component on the user equipment device 300 to the appropriate
channel to display the media content.
[0109] Although the invention has been described with reference to
preferred embodiments illustrated and discussed herein, equivalents
may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing
from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. For
example, it will be appreciated that while the discussion of media
content has focused on video content such as television programs,
the principles of the present invention can be applied to other
types of media content, such as music, images, etc. Similarly, the
display screens 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1100 shown in
FIGS. 5-11 are merely illustrative and may be replaced with any
suitable display screen arrangement. For example, instead of being
displayed on dedicated screens, the various menu options may be
displayed as opaque or translucent overlays over displayed media
content.
[0110] Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the
invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by
Letter Patent includes the following:
* * * * *
References