WO2006123366A1

WO2006123366A1 - An electromechanical system incorporating a parental control

Info

Publication number: WO2006123366A1
Application number: PCT/IN2006/000140
Authority: WO
Inventors: George John Thekkethil
Original assignee: M/S. Trinity Future-In Pvt. Ltd
Priority date: 2005-05-18
Filing date: 2006-04-24
Publication date: 2006-11-23

Abstract

An electromechanical system, which is a parental control device, is capable of preventing any Internet site not intended to be accessed by an unauthorized person. This is achieved by assigning a set of secret digits to open a mechanical lock. The system has the facility to adjust the security level to any given situation. The operation of the system has a facility to inform the user of the accessibility situation, namely whether there is any permission granted or not to log on to a data, which may be an Internet site or the viewing of an Internet TV channel.

Description

FIELD OF THE UN VENTION:

The present invention generally relates to an electromechanical system incorporating a parental control useful for controlled viewing of digital contents. More particularly the present invention provides an electromechanical system useful for assigning a filter level to an electronic means.

The present invention provides a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) based chip comprising a Parental control useful for assigning a filter level to an electronic means for controlled viewing of digital contents.

BACKGROUND ART:

In the recent past with the advancement of information technology use of computers has increased many fold in almost all walks of life. There has been a manifold increase of use of Internet to browse and download astronomically large volume of data. Many a times the data are downloaded and misused without any reliable security. In many cultures around the world, laws are very stringent and there must exist a proper filter of the content received at the receiving stations of different cable networks before being broadcasted to the confines of different homes. On the other hand, Children without the supervision of their parents gain access to racial content, pornography, nudity, violence and other relateύ content' through Internet on Computers and Internet Television. It is therefore very necessary that a filter feature be available for all such above-mentioned circumstances.

Reference may be made to the US Publication No. 20050108383 Al DeHaas, Ronald J.; (Owosso, MI); Hammezzrsley, Scott D.; (Comma, MI) ; Rose, Collin J.; (Corunna, MI); et al, wherein it has been disclosed that: - A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user includes a remote server and a computer having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the user communicatively connected to the remote server. The monitoring program is configured to monitor various Internet access activity of the computer user and record the Internet access activity on the remote server. The Internet access activity includes access of at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of newsgroups, file sharing programs, file transfer programs, chat rooms, peer-to-peer chats, and electronic mail activity. A method of using a monitoring system includes the steps of a computer user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on a selected computer, recording the Internet access activity, and providing the recorded information to a third party recipient. A report may be provided that includes a variety of information and may include a plurality of portions.

Here we see that the Internet monitoring system can only record the Internet usage details of the user and nowhere it says that this system can prevent the user from accessing prohibited digital contents over the internet

Reference may be made to the US Publication No. 20050108383 Al Clapper, Edward O. etal, wherein it has been disclosed that: - A system and method for adult URL pre- screening. A URL request made by a child on a first computer is received by a gatekeeper. The gatekeeper compares the requested URL to URL entries in an approved URL table. If the requested URL is found in the approved URL table, permission is granted for enabling the child on the first computer to browse a Web page associated with the requested URL. If the requested URL is not found in the approved URL table, the gatekeeper accesses the Web page associated with the requested URL, generates a thumbnail of the Web page, and alerts a parent/guardian operating the second computer via an alert icon. The parent/guardian may view the thumbnail of the Web page by placing their mouse over the alert icon. The thumbnail includes a set of approval options from which to allow the parent/guardian to approve or deny access of the Web page for the child on the first computer to browse.

Here we see that the Parental control is effective through thumbnail pop-ups generated by the gatekeeper of the system, provided the parent and child are working on two different computers at the same time. Nowhere the system says that it has independent control to prevent the child from viewing the blocked URL 's. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION:

It is thus the main object of the present invention is to provide an electromechanical system incorporating a parental control useful for independent controlled viewing of digital contents.

Another ohject of the present invention is to provide an electromechanical system useful for parents to control the activities of their children' s access to Internet through the computer.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electromechanical system useful for parents to control the activities of their children over the Internet Television.

An object of the present invention is to provide MEMS based chip useful for installation in a computer.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a MEMS based chip for installation in a desktop computer.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a MEMS based chip for installation in a laptop.

Yet another object ^' of the present invention is to provide a MEMS based chip for installation in a notebook.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a MEMS based chip for installation on an Internet Television.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an electromechanical system useful for preventing the downloading of prohibited data from the Internet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention prevents access to unauthorized internet content and sites. The electro - mechanical system can be miniaturized to a MEMS configuration. This electromechanical system integrated into a MEMS chip, which can be easily installed on any desktop, laptop, notebook and T. V. Thus according to the basic aspects of the present invention provides an electro mechanical system incorporating a parental control comprises of:

a processor which has a memory storage unit request the host system and compares the instruction from the memory storage unit and control the command switch to pass through to the internet and other to the demolisher unit and processor thereby prevents the system not to proceed with any useful action and stop any intended operation;

the processed data is sent to the controller and thereby send the processed data through the switch which is integrated electronic chip;

During the transfer of electromechanical system to the host system, if the parental control device understands that if the user request typed on the browser, the parental control will decide whether to make connection into the internet or not.

The above method of the present invention is adapted to prevent access to unauthorized internet content and sites and also prevents viewing of Internet TV channels not recommended to children, which will be integrated in a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) Chip.

Additional details of the above - described method for creating and using the electro mechanical system for incorporating a parental control are provided below:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

Fig (1) represents the electromechanical system incorporating a parental control wherein: - the user requests the input Data (1) goes into a processor (2), it also has a Memory Storage Unit (3) and a Controller (4). The Controller commands a switch (5). The switch has only two operating sequences one to let the data pass through to the internet (7) and the other to pass the data^" to a demolisher unit (6) thereby preventing the system not to proceed with any useful action and stop any intended operation. It also has a mechanical means to set a filter level (8) as per the need. The level may be low, medium or high and is set by a filter level. This is interfaced with a counter capable (9) of registering numeric digits to lock it from the child.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Accordingly the present invention provides an electromechanical system incorporating a parental control which comprises: a mechanical means interfaced to a counter (8), the said mechanical means/counter (8) activates the processor (2) for authentication check to accept an incoming data (1) requested by the user, the said processor (2) comparing the input data (1) from the memory storage unit (3) and actuating the controller (4) to send a control cόmmauJ tb a switch (5) to pass the data to the internet (7) for accepted authenticated input or to pass the data to a demolisher unit (6) for unaccepted unauthenticated input. According to the invention, the electronic means functions as per the following steps a) Flow of Input Data to the Processors b) Mechanical Slider Type device controlling the Input data from the user. By coding the processor to compare with the Memory Storage Unit c) Comparison of the Data stored in the Memory storage Unit d) Lock controlling the Data stored in the Memory Storage Unit e) Signal sent by the processor to the controller to monitor the switch f) Flow of data into the switch g) Signal sent by the controller to the switch h) Flow of Unauthorized data into the Demolisher unit, i) Authorized data flow into the Internet.

In an embodiment of the present invention the mechanical means may be such as a slider contact.

In still another embodiment of the present invention the counter may be any electronic counter with at least six digits. In yet another embodiment of the present invention the host may be any electronic system such as an Internet site, an Internet TV channel.

In a further embodiment of the present invention the output display may be a display on a computer, an Internet TV monitor.

EXAMPLE:

The parental control device understands the user's request typed on the browser. This parental control will decide whether to make connection into the Internet or not. The porn sites, which are preprogrammed within its memory, will be authenticated first to check whether it is valid or invalid web contents or web request. If a user request for a site, which has "sex" in it as it is preprogrammed in the memory of the parental control device the request is considered invalid and does not allow access to the site.

Following are the major advantages:

1. The electromechanical system of the present invention prevents access to unauthorized Internet content and sites.

2. The electromechanical system of the present invention prevents viewing of Internet TV channels not recommended to children

3. The electromechanical system of the present invention prevents relaying of unethical content over Internet Televisions where the laws of the land are stringent.

4. The system can be miniaturized to a MEMS configuration.

5. The performance of the Computer is not compromised even after installing this feature on it.

6. The electromechanical system integrated into a MEMS chip can be installed easily on niiy desktop, laptop, notebook and TV.

Claims

Claims:

1) An electromechanical system incorporating a parental control wherein: - the user requests the input Data (1) goes into a processor (2), it also has a Memory Storage Unit (3) and a Controller (4). The Controller commands a switch (5). The switch has only two operating sequences one to let the data pass through to the internet (7) and the other to pass the data to a demolisher unit (6) thereby preventing the system not to proceed with any useful action and stop any intended operation. It also has a mechanical means to set a filter level (8) as per the need. The level may be low, medium or high and is set by a filter level. This is interfaced with a counter capable (9) of registering numeric digits to lock it from the child.

2) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1), wherein the device comprises of a processor, controller, memory storage unit, switch, filter and the counter, which is integrated on a card.

3) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) and (2), wherein the device comprises of a processor, controller, memory storage unit, switch, filter and the counter, which is integrated on an electronic chip.

4) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) to (3), wherein the device comprises of a processor, controller, memory storage unit, switch, filter and the counter, which is integrated on a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) chip.

5) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) to (4), wherein the input data is from the means such as computer, a laptop, a desk top, a notebook, a device with digital external interface.

6) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) to (5), wherein the host system is a computer, an external modem, an internal modem, an bluetooth device, a device that connects to Internet.

7) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) to (6), wherein the memory storage zone is a Memory Flash, a memory flash card, a Hard disk, a eprom, a eeprom, a RAM, a disc on chin

8) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) to (7), wherein the counter is a mechanical counter, a digital counter, an analog counter, a software counter. 9) An electro-mechanical system as claimed in claim (1) to (6), wherein the filter level is a mechanical slider, a touch screen, a regulator, a button.