Parental Control Rating Segmentation in HTTP Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parental control methods in adaptive HTTP streaming technologies lack accuracy in restricting content based on time-specific ratings, failing to provide granular control over media segments, which can expose children and teenagers to inappropriate content.

Innovation Solution

The method involves setting and sending parental control rating information for media contents in different time periods within a single media presentation, allowing clients to process and restrict content accordingly, enabling precise control over media segments by defining ratings for each component within a media presentation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If parental control rating information is provided only at program level (coarse granularity), then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision of content control is insufficient and inappropriate content may be exposed to children

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparental control precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments parental control rating information from program-level to media-component-level granularity. Instead of providing a single rating for the entire program, the system divides ratings into multiple components (video, audio, subtitles, etc.) and further segments them by time periods. This segmentation enables precise control over specific inappropriate content segments while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized data structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different parental control ratings to different media components (video, audio, subtitles) and different time periods within a program. Each component can have its own rating characteristics, allowing the system to restrict only specific inappropriate segments (e.g., violent video scenes from 10:00-10:30) while allowing other appropriate content to be accessed freely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If parental control information is provided at fine granularity (media component level), then parental control precision is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent control granularityVSAvoiduser configuration simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments parental control information into standardized components (video, audio, subtitles) with clear temporal boundaries. This segmentation allows fine-grained control while simplifying user interaction, as parents only need to select which media components they want to restrict rather than manually configuring each time segment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal parental control framework that works across different media types (video, audio, subtitles) and delivery mechanisms (HTTP streaming, progressive download). The same rating structure and control mechanism apply universally to all media components, reducing the complexity users would face if separate control systems were needed for each media type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If traditional EPG/ESG parental control methods are used, then system complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of time-specific content ratings is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime period rating accuracyVSAvoidinformation structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic parental control ratings that change over time periods within a program. Instead of a static program-level rating, the system provides time-varying ratings that accurately reflect when inappropriate content occurs. This dynamic approach achieves precise time-specific measurement while managing complexity through efficient data representation using start time and duration parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2613492B1Method and device for applying parental control in dynamic HTTP streaming
Publication Date: 2015.07.29 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2613492B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
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  • EP2613492B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The present invention discloses a method and device for applying parental control in media. Corresponding parental control rating information is set for media contents in different time periods in the single media presentation; the parental control rating information is sent to a client; and the client processes the media contents in the single media presentation according to the parental control rating information, so as to make the effect of the parental control accurate.