초록 ▼

A system and method for controlling a plurality of parental control subsystems within an entertainment system is provided. The system includes a computer interfaced to a plurality of audio and/or audiovisual devices, wherein at least two of the audio and/or audiovisual devices within the system each

A system and method for controlling a plurality of parental control subsystems within an entertainment system is provided. The system includes a computer interfaced to a plurality of audio and/or audiovisual devices, wherein at least two of the audio and/or audiovisual devices within the system each comprise a native parental control subsystem or locking mechanism having adjustable parameters. A software locking mechanism operates the computer to allow a user to input one or more general parental control parameters and then sets the adjustable parameters of each native parental control subsystem within the system by mapping the parental control parameters onto each separate, native mechanisms for each device.

대표청구항 ▼

A system and method for controlling a plurality of parental control subsystems within an entertainment system is provided. The system includes a computer interfaced to a plurality of audio and/or audiovisual devices, wherein at least two of the audio and/or audiovisual devices within the system each

A system and method for controlling a plurality of parental control subsystems within an entertainment system is provided. The system includes a computer interfaced to a plurality of audio and/or audiovisual devices, wherein at least two of the audio and/or audiovisual devices within the system each comprise a native parental control subsystem or locking mechanism having adjustable parameters. A software locking mechanism operates the computer to allow a user to input one or more general parental control parameters and then sets the adjustable parameters of each native parental control subsystem within the system by mapping the parental control parameters onto each separate, native mechanisms for each device. ing thread own a control mutex associated with said requesting thread; (ii) requiring that said thread associated with said target mutex own a control mutex associated with said thread; and (iii) suspending said thread associated with said target mutex when said requesting thread does own both said control mutex of said requesting thread and said control mutex of said thread associated with said target mutex. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein when, in the resolving step, it is determined that said thread associated with said target mutex is in a target mutex operating sequence, said requesting thread executes a procedure selected from the group consisting of (i) backing said thread associated with said target mutex out of said target mutex operating sequence, (ii) pushing said thread associated with said target mutex out of said target mutex operating sequence, and (iii) an operation comprising the steps of: (1) resuming said thread associated with said target mutex for a period of time; (2) suspending said thread associated with said target mutex; (3) determining whether said suspended thread associated with said target mutex is in said target mutex operating sequence; and (4) repeating steps 1, 2 and 3 when said suspended thread associated with said target mutex is in said target mutex operation sequence. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein said heuristic function includes testing at least one value selected from the group consisting of: (i) a setting of a recursive overflow bit associated with said target mutex; and (ii) a conversion value, which represents a percentage of mutexes created by a particular call state, that are in said second synchronization mode. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said target mutex includes a mutex request counter, the method further comprising the steps of: incrementing said mutex request counter when said mutex request counter is below a predefined overflow value; and performing an overflow function on said mutex request counter when said mutex request counter exceeds said overflow value; and said verification procedure of step a(ii) comprises: decrementing said mutex request counter by a thread penalty amount; acquiring a supervisor mutex; suspending the thread associated with said target mutex; resolving whether said suspended thread is in a sequence operating on said target mutex; choosing, based on a heuristic function, to (i), set said target mutex to said second synchronization modeor to (ii), associate said requesting thread with said target mutex; determining whether said target mutex is in said first synchronization modeor said second synchronization mode, wherein, when said target mutex is in said second synchronization mode, said method additionally comprises a step of assuring, with atomic machine instructions, that no thread is operating on said target mutex; resuming said thread associated with said target mutex; releasing said supervisor mutex; and granting said request to acquire said target mutex. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of performing the mutex request counter overflow function comprises setting said mutex request counter to a number that is determined by a calculation selected from the group consisting of: dividing said mutex request counter by a number greater than one; and setting said mutex request counter to a predetermined constant. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the suspending step comprises: (i) requiring that said requesting thread own a control mutex associated with said requesting thread; (ii) requiring that said thread associated with said target mutex own a control mutex associated with said thread; and (iii) suspending said thread associated with said target mutex when said requesting thread does own both said control mutex of said requesting thread and said control mutex of said thread associated with said target mutex. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein when, in the resolving step, it