The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 07, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1998
Debbie Indira Lewis, Norcross, GA (US);
Pratish Ratilal Desai, Fremont, CA (US);
Robert Howard Miller, Leawood, KS (US);
Thomson Licensing S.A., Boulogne, FR;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for processing information stored on a storage medium, such as a digital video disk, involves accessing information stored on the medium and determining whether information stored on the storage medium includes unrated program information. If so, a user is given the opportunity to override a control condition of the system that prevents playback of unrated program information. If override is selected, playback of the unrated program information is enabled and, upon completion of playback, the control condition of the system may be restored to prevent playback of other unrated program information. Override may be conditioned upon the user first entering a password. The mode of operation that permits override of the control condition for preventing playback of unrated program information mode of operation may be selectively enabled.