Parental Control Settings Synchronization Across Entertainment Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Parental control settings across multiple entertainment devices in a household are often inconsistent, allowing children to unintentionally or intentionally access inappropriate content, as settings are not easily synchronized or modified across devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for managing parental control information between entertainment devices via a local area network, where one device can transmit and modify the parental control settings of another device to ensure consistency, using a security mechanism for authentication and modification of settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If parental control settings are configured locally on each entertainment device, then each device can independently control content, but the settings become inconsistent across devices allowing children to access inappropriate content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a parental control server as an intermediary that centralizes the management of parental control settings. The server receives modification commands, authenticates them using stored security information, and distributes approved settings to multiple entertainment devices. This mediator resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable consistent control across devices while simplifying the operation for parents through a single point of control.
Solution Approach 2:
The parental control server provides universal management capabilities across multiple different types of entertainment devices (TVs, set-top boxes, digital video recorders, computers). By implementing a multi-functional system that can communicate with various device types through standardized protocols, the patent achieves consistent parental control effectiveness across the entire household entertainment ecosystem without requiring separate configuration for each device.
2Ease of operation
If parental control settings are synchronized across multiple devices, then consistent content control is achieved, but security risks increase from unauthorized modification commands
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication of parental control modification commands before applying settings changes across devices. The parental control server stores security information (such as passwords or authentication credentials) and verifies each modification command against this stored information before processing. This preliminary security check prevents unauthorized access while allowing legitimate parental control adjustments, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and security.
3Reliability
If a security mechanism is implemented for authentication, then unauthorized modifications are prevented, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The parental control server automatically manages the authentication process without requiring direct parental intervention for each settings change. Once initial security information is established, the server autonomously verifies modification commands, manages setting synchronization, and coordinates with multiple entertainment devices. This self-service approach maintains reliable security control while minimizing the operational complexity for users.
Data Source
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AI summary
Parental control settings may be managed between multiple entertainment devices, such as digital televisions (DTVs). A system (100) includes a first entertainment device (102) and a second entertainment device (104). The first entertainment device is configured to selectively block content based on a first set of parental control settings (220), and the second entertainment device configured to selectively block content based on a second set of parental control settings (222). The first entertainment device and the second entertainment device may selectively exchange information (226) to modify the parental control settings of the devices.