Detailed Description
Summary of the disclosure
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to providing parental control settings to a display device using, for example, a remote control device. As will be described in greater detail below, the display device may then generate a message (e.g., a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) message) corresponding to the received parental control settings. The message may then be sent to one or more source devices to which the display device is connected via the HDMI interface. In some embodiments, HDMI connected devices may then receive and process the messages and, in response thereto, modify or otherwise comply with the parental control settings of such devices according to the parental control data in the received messages.
The display device may then receive content from the HDMI connected device that has been pre-filtered (processed for parental control blocking and blocked as needed) according to the received parental control settings previously provided via the message. In one embodiment, the filtering process may be performed by the source device using content advisory data present in the pre-filtered incoming source video. The term "pre-filtering" as used herein may indicate that the content advisory data accompanying the content has been checked against parental control settings and that audio/video output has been blocked if the level is found to exceed established parental control settings.
Rather than having the display device broadcast or otherwise provide parental control data to various HDMI-connected devices, another aspect of the invention relates to having the HDMI-connected source device provide one or more messages to the display device containing content advisory data for the video content being provided (or to be provided) to the display device over the HDMI connection. In this way, the display device receives unfiltered video content from the HDMI connected device over the HDMI interface, and the display device processes the unfiltered video content based on the content advisory data according to parental control settings directly provided to the display device by the user in advance, thereby blocking or not blocking viewing as desired.
The terms a or an, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term "plurality" refers to two or more than two. The term "another" (other) is defined as one or more of the others. The terms "including" and/or "having" are open-ended (e.g., comprising). The term "or" as used herein should be interpreted as being inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Thus, "A, B or C" means "any of the following: a; b; c; a and B; a and C; b and C; A. b and C ". An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or acts are in a way that is mutually exclusive.
Reference throughout this document to "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "an embodiment," or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, the present invention is described below with reference to operations performed by a computer system or similar electronic system. Such operations are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed. It will be appreciated that the operations represented by the symbols include the manipulation by a processor (e.g., a central processing unit) of electrical signals representing data bits, and the maintenance of the data bits at a storage unit (e.g., in system memory), as well as other processing of the signals. The memory cells that maintain the data bits are physical cells that have particular electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic properties corresponding to the data bits.
When implemented in software, the elements of the invention are essentially the code segments to perform the necessary tasks. The code segments may be stored in a processor readable medium or transmitted by a computer data signal. A "processor-readable medium" may include any medium that can store or transfer information. Examples of a processor-readable medium include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory or other non-volatile memory, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, fiber optic media, Radio Frequency (RF) links, and so forth.
Exemplary embodiments
The present disclosure relates to the fact that: that is, most television systems actually include several source components to which the TV (i.e., sink device) needs to interface, such as STBs, PVRs, Home Theater (HT) systems, and so forth.
To this end, FIG. 2 illustrates a system 200 configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In particular, the system 200 includes a sink device (e.g., a television) in the form of a display 205. The display 205 includes a processor 210, a memory 220, and an HDMI interface 215 having a plurality of input ports. In one embodiment, HDMI interface 215 may be configured according to HDMI interface 100 of fig. 1.
In one embodiment, the processor 210 is configured to decode content advisory data encoded in the program or packaged media (e.g., DVD) received through any input interface on the display 205. The processor 210 may also be configured with so-called V-chip technology, in which access to certain categories of content (e.g., program-based or packaged) is blocked, for example, based on user-defined content advisory settings stored in the memory 220.
With continued reference to fig. 2, the display 205 may be electrically connected to one or more source devices, such as a DVD220, PVR 225, STB 230, and HT system 235. In one embodiment, each of the DVD220, PVR 225, STB 230, and HT system 235 are coupled to the display 205 via an HDMI connection 245.
Under the HDMI specification, there is an alternative protocol called the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocol. The CEC protocol is designed to provide control functions between audio/video (a/V) devices connected via HDMI cables, as fully defined in annex 1 of HDMI specification 1.3 (day 22/6/2006). CEC assumes that all a/V source products in the system are connected, directly or indirectly, to the "root" display. In short, the CEC protocol is a single wire "party line" that connects up to 10 source devices over a standard HDMI cable. The CEC protocol includes mechanisms for physical address discovery, logical addressing, arbitration, retransmission, broadcast, and routing control.
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to extending the current CEC protocol messages to define such signaling: this signaling allows the user's parental control settings to be synchronized or managed not only on the user's television (e.g., display device 205) but also on the user's various source devices (e.g., DVD220, PVR 225, STB 230, and HT system 235). This is particularly helpful because, as previously mentioned, it is the responsibility of the respective source device rather than the display device to perform the parental settings decoding and blocking functions for an HDMI-connected system.
In addition to CEC protocol messaging provided over dedicated pins 13 and 17 (see fig. 1), the HDMI specification includes a Display Data Channel (DDC) line, a Hot Plug Detect (HPD) line, and a reserved line. For this purpose, parental control management messaging over DDC lines may be based on inter-integrated circuit (I)2C) And (4) protocol. Similarly, such messaging can be readily provided by HPD and reserved lines according to any known communication protocol. Although CEC messaging may be preferred due to its bus-based architecture, I2The C protocol bus (e.g., over DDC lines) is a point-to-point protocol and may require the use of repeaters, amplifiers, and/or distributors-all of whichAll in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
With continued reference to fig. 2, the system 200 further includes a remote control device 245, the remote control device 245 having, in certain embodiments, an RF or IR transmitter 250 for transmitting remote commands according to principles known in the art, and further having a remote control processor 255 connected to various components of the remote control 245 for directing the remote control 245 to communicate with the display device 205 via an RF band or an IR band. As is generally known, the remote control 245 also includes a memory 260 for storing command codes and the like.
It should also be appreciated that the remote control 245 may be configured to communicate not only with the display device 205, but also with one or more of the various connected source devices (e.g., the DVD220, PVR 225, STB 230, and HT system 235). It will of course be appreciated that the remote control 245 may have, and as such does have, additional components such as a series of buttons or switches, a display screen, a power source, and the like.
Referring now to fig. 3, one embodiment of a Graphical User Interface (GUI)300 that may be used to provide parental control settings data to a display device (e.g., display device 205) is shown. Using a remote control device (e.g., remote control 245), the user may browse through a list 310 of possible parental control settings using navigation interface 320.
As shown in fig. 3, TV ratings have various categories with the following abbreviations: FV represents fantasy violence; l represents a vulgar language; s represents a mentioning and/or sexual scenario; d represents an implied dialog; v represents violence. Since the GUI 300 allows selection of categories within a given TV rating, the user may be able to specify that all programs with a particular TV rating are blocked (e.g., TV-14 and TV-MA in FIG. 3), or that only certain categories within a given TV rating are blocked (e.g., TV-PG-S and TV-PG-V in FIG. 3). While such settings may represent parental control settings for broadcast and packaged video content currently available in the united states, it should be appreciated that such settings may be different for other countries or may be modified or replaced in the future, and thus should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any way. Additionally, it should be appreciated that there are many additional parental control settings available that are not shown in the GUI 300 of fig. 3.
Referring now to FIG. 4, a diagram illustrates a process for implementing one embodiment of the invention. In particular, process 400 begins at block 410, where a display device (e.g., display 205) receives parental control settings from a user. Such parental control settings may correspond to any of a number of possible settings, such as those shown in fig. 3 or others. In one embodiment, such settings may be received using a remote control device (e.g., remote control device 245). Alternatively, parental control settings may be provided using one or more buttons or switches of the display device. Regardless of the means used to receive the parental control settings, such information may then be stored in a local memory (e.g., memory 220) of the display device for later access.
Process 400 may then continue to block 420 where the display device may generate a message corresponding to the received parental control settings of block 410. While the generated messages may generally comply with the CEC protocol, it should be understood that the message structure (e.g., header blocks, data blocks, number of frames, etc.) may change, as may the protocol of the messages (e.g., DDC/I)2C) In that respect In one embodiment, the message generation is performed by a processor of the display device (e.g., processor 210).
With continued reference to fig. 4, process 400 continues to block 430 where the display device may then transmit the message generated above at block 420 to one or more HDMI-connected devices (e.g., DVD220, PVR 225, STB 230, and/or HT system 235). In this context, an HDMI connected device is any source device connected to a display device via an HDMI interface. In one embodiment, the operations of block 430 may include the display device acting as a so-called "initiator" while one or more HDMI connected devices are so-called "followers," as generally described in the CEC protocol. Similarly, the message of block 430 may be sent only to the address of a particular HDMI connected device, or may be broadcast over the CEC bus.
In the case where the message of block 430 is not a CEC message as described above, such a message may be according to I2The C protocol or any other known communication protocol consistent with the principles of the invention is transmitted over the DDC line, HPD line and/or reserved line previously described.
Although not shown in process 400 of fig. 4, in one embodiment, it is assumed that at least one HDMI connected device will receive and process the above message sent at block 430. This may include modifying or otherwise complying with the parental control settings of such a device according to the parental control data in the received message (which corresponds to the user-defined settings of block 410).
Process 400 may then continue to block 440 where the display device may receive the pre-filtered video content from the HDMI connected device over the HDMI interface (e.g., via HDMI connection 240). In this way, a single set of parental control settings may be provided to the display device and used to decide what video content is blocked, regardless of the source of the content, and regardless of the fact that such content is provided by an HDMI connected device.
Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of a process 500 for implementing one or more aspects of the present invention is shown. In particular, process 500 begins at block 510, where a display device (e.g., display 205) receives parental control settings from a user. As mentioned above with reference to fig. 4, such settings may be received using a remote control device (e.g., remote control device 245), or may be provided using one or more buttons or switches of a display device. Regardless of the means used to receive the parental control settings, such information may then be stored in a local memory (e.g., memory 220) of the display device for later access.
Process 500 may then continue to block 520 where the display device may receive one or more messages from the source device (DVD 220, PVR 225, STB 230, and/or HT system 235) of the HDMI connection and may consult the content data corresponding to the video content being provided (or to be provided) to the display device over the HDMI connection. As with process 400, the receiving operation of block 520 may correspond to receiving one or more CEC-based messages, e.g., generated by a processor of a respective source device. In one embodiment, the operations of block 520 may include the HDMI connected device acting as a so-called "initiator" and the display device being a so-called "follower" as generally described in the CEC protocol.
Alternatively, the operations performed at block 520 may correspond to receiving the one or more messages over the DDC line, HPD line, and/or reserved line previously described, regardless of whether the format of such messages is according to I2C protocol is also any other known communication protocol consistent with the principles of the present invention.
With continued reference to fig. 5, process 500 continues to block 530, where the display device may then receive unfiltered video content from the HDMI connected device over the HDMI interface (e.g., via HDMI connection 240). It should be appreciated that the unfiltered video content of block 530 may overlap with the receipt of the corresponding message(s) of block 520, or may be received at any time thereafter.
At this point, process 500 continues to block 540 where the display device will process the unfiltered video content of block 530 based on the content advisory data received via the message(s) of block 520 and in accordance with the parental control settings provided by the user at block 510. In this way, a single set of parental control settings may be provided to the display device and used to decide what video content is blocked, regardless of the source of the content, and regardless of the fact that such content is provided by an HDMI connected device.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art. Trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.