'v-chip' preset criteria

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for allowing a user to supervise personal exposure to a program exhibited by a consumer electronics device, such as a television system. The consumer electronics device includes 'V-chip' circuitry that analyzes a signal and either blocks or passes the signal based on certain content-based criteria. In this connection, a user can program the 'V-chip' circuitry with the preset content-based criteria in the form of preset content-based specification sets, which are stored in the consumer electronics device by the manufacturer. The preset content-based specification sets specify either allowable or objectionable content within a program signal received by the consumer electronics device. The “V-chip” circuitry receives a content-based indicator set, which is indicative of the actual content of the program signal. One of the preset content-based specification sets is conveniently selected by a user. The “V-chip” circuitry then compares the content-based indicator set with the selected preset content-based specification set when the program signal is received by the consumer electronics device. Based on this comparison, the “V-chip” circuitry either passes the signal to an output device for transformation of the signal into the program, or blocks the signal from being sent to the output device.