System and method of supervisory control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016366147-A1
Application number	US-201615179237-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 11, 2015
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of supervisory control is provided according to aspects of the technology. The method includes setting, at a remote device, at least a first usage control parameter for at least a first account associated with access to content on a class of entertainment devices. The method also includes monitoring, at an entertainment device of that class, which account or accounts are active on the entertainment device and obtaining, at the entertainment device, the at least first usage control parameter set for the at least first account. The method further includes restricting usage of content on the entertainment device responsive to the at least first usage control parameter.

First claim

1 . A method of supervisory control, comprising the steps of:
setting, at a remote device, at least a first usage control parameter for at least a first account associated with access to content on a class of entertainment devices; monitoring, at an entertainment device of the class of entertainment devices, which account or accounts are active on the entertainment device; detecting, by one or more processors, a number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device; obtaining, at the entertainment device, the at least first usage control parameter set for the at least first account; and restricting, by one or more processors, usage of content on the entertainment device responsive to the at least first usage control parameter; wherein at least one of the at least a first usage control parameter for at least the first account relates to the restriction of usage of content responsive to the number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device.

2 . A method of supervisory control according to claim 1 , in which two or more accounts are active on the entertainment device, wherein:
restricting the usage of content on the entertainment device is responsive to a most restrictive version of a usage control parameter respectively associated with the two or more accounts.

3 . A method of supervisory control according to claim 1 , in which two or more accounts are active on the entertainment device, and
a given usage control parameter for each account relates to usage of content for a respective predetermined period of time; wherein: restricting the usage of content on the entertainment device is done for a period of time corresponding to an overlap between the respective predetermined periods of time for each account.

4 . A method of supervisory control according to claim 1 , comprising the step of:
at the remote device:
selecting the restriction of a first function; and
at the entertainment device:
notifying a user that the first function will be restricted following a predetermined notification period.

5 . A method of supervisory control according to claim 1 , in which the at least the first usage control parameter relates to one or more selected from the list consisting of:
i. restricting running of applications according to age ratings or parental control flags; ii. restricting use of a web browser; iii. restricting use of chat or messaging functions; iv. setting a cap on spending for a particular account; v. locking a user out from access to their account; vi. setting a maximum duration for play; vii. setting scheduled periods for play; viii. restricting specific titles from being launched; and ix. restricting access to an application feature listed in a configurable application feature message.

6 . A method of supervisory control according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
at the entertainment device:
reporting an activity to a push server; and
at the remote device:
receiving a report on the activity.

7 . A method of supervisory control according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
at the remote device:
composing a message, and
transmitting the message to a push server; and
at the entertainment device:
displaying the message.

8 . A tangible recording medium comprising a computer program product that when executed on a computer implements the steps of:
setting, at a remote device, at least a first usage control parameter for at least a first account associated with access to content on a class of entertainment devices; monitoring, at an entertainment device of the class of entertainment devices, which account or accounts are active on the entertainment device; detecting a number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device; obtaining, at the entertainment device, the at least first usage control parameter set for the at least first account; and restricting usage of content on the entertainment device responsive to the at least first usage control parameter; wherein at least one of the at least a first usage control parameter for at least the first account relates to the restriction of usage of content responsive to the number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device.

9 . An entertainment device, comprising:
a log-in processing unit adapted to allow plural accounts to log in on the entertainment device; a monitoring processing unit adapted to monitor which account or accounts are active on the entertainment device; a detecting processing unit adapted to detect a number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device; a transmitter adapted to transmit notification of which account or accounts are active on the entertainment device to a push server; a receiver adapted to receive at least a first usage control parameter of at least one account active on the entertainment device from the push server; and a restriction processing unit adapted to restrict usage of content on the entertainment device responsive to the at least first usage control parameter; wherein at least one of the at least a first usage control parameter for at least the first account relates to the restriction of usage of content responsive to the number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device.

10 . A push server, comprising
an account database adapted to hold data for a plurality of accounts associated with respective access to content on a class of entertainment devices; a receiver adapted to receive, from a remote device, at least a first usage control parameter set for at least a first account; an association processing unit adapted to associate the at least the first usage control parameter with the at least the first account in the plurality of accounts held by the push server; a receiver adapted to receive notification from an entertainment device that the first account is active on the entertainment device; and a transmitter adapted to transmit to the entertainment device the at least the first usage control parameter set for the at least the first account; wherein at least one of the at least a first usage control parameter for at least the first account relates to the restriction of usage of content responsive to the number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to the entertainment device.

11 . A remote device, comprising
an account selection processing unit adapted to select at least a first account associated with access to content on a class of entertainment devices; a setting processing unit adapted to set at least a first usage control parameter for the at least a first account; and a transmitter adapted to transmit an indication of each selected account and the respective at least the first usage control parameter for each selected account to a push server; wherein at least one of the at least the first usage control parameter for at least the first account relates to restriction of usage of content responsive to a number or type of input peripherals operably coupled to a given entertainment device.

12 . A system of supervisory control, comprising:
the entertainment device of claim 9 ; and the server of claim 10 .

13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
the remote device of claim 11 .

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Quoc Dat
• Starkey Robert Christopher
• Fleming Simon Alexis

Classifications

• H04N21/6543

  for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording {(remote booting in general G06F9/4416)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4781

  Games · CPC title

• H04N21/4751 Primary

  for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children · CPC title

• H04N21/44204

  Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31) · CPC title

• G06F21/629

  to features or functions of an application · CPC title