Granular Media Access Control via Custom Viewing Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media access control systems rely on single ratings, which lack granularity and fail to account for individual sensitivities, leading to inconsistent suitability assessments for media content by parents or guardians.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a granular media access control method using customizable viewing profiles that consider multiple attributes such as violence, language, and drug abuse, allowing users to define their own tolerance levels and share or download profiles from social networks, enabling more precise control over media content access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single rating system is used for media access control, then the system is simple to operate, but it lacks granularity and cannot account for individual sensitivities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single rating system into multiple independent attribute ratings (e.g., violence, language, sexuality, drugs). Each attribute is rated separately, allowing parents to control access based on specific concerns rather than a blanket rating. This segmentation enables granular control while maintaining systematic organization through structured profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different tolerance levels for different attributes within the same viewing profile. Each attribute can have its own threshold set by the parent, enabling customized control where sensitivity varies by content type. This resolves the contradiction by providing precision where needed while keeping the overall system manageable through modular attribute-based control.
2Measurement precision
If multiple attributes are considered in access control, then suitability assessment accuracy improves, but the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal viewing profile structure that handles multiple attributes through a consistent interface. The same profile mechanism manages all attributes (violence, language, sexuality, drugs), providing multi-functionality that improves assessment accuracy without proportionally increasing operational complexity. Parents interact with a unified system rather than separate controls for each attribute.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables profile copying and sharing functionality where parents can download pre-configured profiles from social networks or copy existing profiles. This reduces operational burden by allowing users to leverage others' carefully configured multi-attribute profiles rather than setting each attribute from scratch, thereby maintaining accuracy while improving ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If customizable viewing profiles are implemented, then personalized control is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing pre-configured viewing profiles that come with default attribute thresholds and settings. Parents can start with these pre-prepared profiles and then customize them as needed, rather than building profiles from scratch. This reduces the initial complexity burden while maintaining full personalization capability through subsequent customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the system monitors viewing patterns and can suggest profile adjustments based on actual usage data. This feedback loop helps parents refine their personalized profiles over time without having to manually analyze and adjust every parameter, thereby managing complexity through intelligent automation while preserving adaptability.
4Reliability
If real-time authorization requests are sent to authorizing devices, then content suitability control is improved, but response time may be delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring viewing profiles with attribute thresholds before content access is needed. When content is requested, the system has already established the authorization criteria, enabling faster real-time decisions. The heavy lifting of defining suitability parameters is done in advance, so real-time authorization only requires comparing content attributes against pre-set thresholds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by sending authorization requests only when content attributes approach or exceed profile thresholds, rather than for every single content item. The system can batch process or selectively trigger authorizations based on risk levels, reducing the overall number of real-time requests while maintaining reliable control for borderline cases that require parental judgment.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method for controlling access to media content includes defining a viewing profile for at least one viewing user according to a multiplicity of attributes associated with the media content, assigning allowable limits to the multiplicity of attributes in the viewing profile, where each of the allowable limits indicates a rating limit for one of the multiplicity of attributes, receiving attribute ratings associated with a media content item, where each of the attribute ratings is associated with one of the multiplicity of attributes, determining viewing permissibility for the media content item by the at least one viewing user by comparing the attribute ratings with the allowable limits, and based on the viewing permissibility, allowing or disallowing the at least one viewing user to view the media content item.