TV Internet Access Control via Management Server Token
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Solution Overview
Problem
Uncontrolled Internet access through TVs poses risks of exposure to inappropriate content, particularly for young viewers, and fails to meet quality screening expectations, while also not providing benefits to content providers or manufacturers.
Innovation Solution
A system where a consumer electronics device, such as a TV, communicates with a management server to receive a secure service list and user token, limiting access to only approved content servers, ensuring controlled and filtered Internet access through a walled garden approach, using SSL encryption for secure communication and token-based authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If uncontrolled Internet access is provided through TV, then ease of operation is improved, but content quality control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management server as an intermediary between the TV and Internet content servers. The TV is programmed to access only the management server, which then provides a controlled list of approved content servers. This intermediary structure maintains ease of operation for the TV while ensuring content quality control through pre-screening of available content sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments Internet access into two distinct layers: a controlled management layer (management server) and an approved content layer (content servers from the provided list). This segmentation allows the TV to operate with simple, unified access procedures while the management server enforces content quality standards by providing separate, pre-approved access paths to vetted content sources.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If firewall or filtering program is installed on TV, then content control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex filtering and content control functionality from the TV itself and relocates it to a separate management server. The TV's role is simplified to merely accessing the management server and consuming content from the provided list, while all filtering, authentication, and content control operations are performed externally by the management server, thereby maintaining content control without increasing TV complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The management server acts as an intermediary that handles all complex filtering and content control operations externally. Instead of embedding firewall or filtering programs in the TV, the system uses the management server to provide pre-filtered content lists and handle authentication, thereby achieving content control without adding complexity to the TV's software architecture.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If local filter is installed on TV, then content control is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the filtering functionality from the TV's local environment and relocates it to a remote management server. This extraction ensures that filtering operations are performed in a stable, controlled environment independent of the TV's local software state, preventing users from unloading or defeating filters locally while maintaining consistent content control across all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The management server serves as a reliable intermediary that maintains centralized control over content filtering. By moving filtering operations to this external, managed service, the system ensures that content control policies are consistently applied and cannot be easily circumvented or disabled by local user actions, thereby improving reliability compared to local filter implementations.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If walled garden approach is implemented, then content quality control is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic walled garden approach where the management server can update and modify the list of approved content servers based on changing requirements, user preferences, or content availability. This dynamic update capability allows the system to maintain high content quality control through centralized management while adapting to new content sources and user needs over time, thereby balancing quality control with adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (12/12A) is enabled to display Internet TV by accessing (40) a management server (32) with a secret unique ID and receiving back (42/48) from the server, assuming the ID is approved, a user token and a service list of content servers with knowledge of the user token. A user can select (52) a content server which causes the device to upload (54) its user token and in response receive (56) a content list from the content server, from which content can be selected (58) for display. Neither list may be modified by the device and the device can access only content on a content list.