Media Console Parental Control via User-Specific Security Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Parents face challenges in supervising their children's online activities and purchases on gaming consoles, as well as managing access to mature content, especially when they are not present, due to the lack of effective parental control mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Implementing user-specific security settings on media consoles that allow parents to create and enforce supervised operating configurations, including security profiles and privilege tickets, to control online interactions and purchases, and restrict access to mature content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Internet connection and online features are added to game consoles to enable communication and purchases, then functionality and user experience are improved, but security risks and parental control difficulties increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security control into multiple layers: user-level security profiles, parental control settings, and console-wide restrictions. Each layer operates independently but can be combined, allowing granular control over online functionalities while maintaining security. This enables parents to selectively enable/disable specific online features for different children without restricting all online functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces parental control accounts as intermediaries between children's accounts and online services. These parental accounts act as mediators that can approve purchases, monitor online interactions, and enforce content restrictions. The intermediary layer provides security oversight while preserving legitimate online functionality for approved activities.
2Reliability
If parental control mechanisms are implemented to supervise children's activities, then security and control are improved, but system complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal security profiles that can be applied across multiple consoles and devices. A single parental control account can manage security settings on different gaming consoles, smartphones, and computers, reducing the complexity of implementing separate control systems for each device while maintaining reliable supervision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service parental control setup where parents can configure security profiles and restrictions through intuitive interfaces without technical assistance. The automated profile matching and application processes reduce setup complexity while ensuring reliable control implementation.
3Reliability
If user-specific security profiles are enforced for each user, then security and purchase control are improved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring security profiles with default restrictions and permissions before users attempt purchases or online activities. Purchase approval limits, content restrictions, and communication settings are established in advance through parental control accounts, eliminating the need for real-time complex decision-making during transactions while maintaining reliable control.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques to enable parental control for a media console are described. One such technique involves enabling user-specific security (or rights) settings. This technique includes first receiving a user identifier from a user interface of a media console. The technique includes next determining a first security profile for the media console based on the user identifier. In this technique, the first security profile defines a supervised operating configuration for the media console that is specific to the user identifier, and which is controlled by an authorized party, such as a parent. Finally, the technique includes enabling use of the first media console subject to the first security profile. In this technique, the first security profile thereby defines parental control choices regarding use of the first media console by the first user, e.g., a child.