Systems and methods for blocking selected commercials

Abstract

Systems and methods for blocking inappropriate or undesired media content. Commercials are reviewed and assigned ratings or other attributes. Metadata including one or more flags identifying a commercial's rating or other attribute is embedded or inserted into media guidance application data for the commercial or for the media content during which the commercial is to be displayed. The media guidance application data is then sent to a viewer's equipment. The equipment receives the media guidance application data, parses the data for the metadata, and then determines if the commercial can be displayed based on parental control restrictions set by a user.

1 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A method implemented on control circuitry for preventing viewing of inappropriate content by blocking select commercials, the method comprising:
 receiving an input from a user selecting a first media asset of a plurality of media assets accessible to the user;   retrieving from a server, with the control circuitry, the first media asset and a commercial to be displayed during a break in the first media asset;   determining, based on metadata associated with the commercial, that the commercial is directed to a second media asset;   transmitting data identifying the second media asset to a database associated with a plurality of content restrictions for the user;   in response to transmitting the data identifying the second media asset, receiving, from the database, a content restriction corresponding to the second media asset;   determining whether the content restriction prevents access to the second media asset by the user;   in response to determining that the content restriction prevents access to the second media asset, preventing, using the control circuitry, display of the commercial while permitting display of the first media asset.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein permitting display of the first media asset further comprises:
 comparing data identifying the first media asset to the database associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user; and   in response to the comparing, determining that the user is permitted access to the first media asset.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the commercial is a first commercial, further comprising replacing the first commercial with a second commercial associated with a third media asset. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising selecting the second commercial based on a determination that the third media asset is not associated with a content restriction preventing access to the third media asset by the user. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising:
 comparing data identifying the first media asset to the database associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user; and   preventing display of the first media asset in response to determining that the first media asset is associated with a content restriction preventing access to the first media asset by the user.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein preventing display of the commercial comprises generating for display a blank screen during a duration of the commercial. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising:
 determining a parental control rating of the commercial;   comparing the parental control rating of the commercial to the database associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user to determine whether the parental control rating of the commercial exceeds a threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials;   in response to determining that the parental control rating of the commercial is greater than the threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials, preventing display of the commercial; and   in response to determining that the parental control rating of the commercial is not greater than the threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials, enabling access to the commercial.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising determining the parental control rating of the commercial based on at least one of keywords included in closed captioning data associated with the commercial, flags included in metadata associated with the commercial, a video component of the commercial, an audio component of the commercial, and a sponsor of the commercial. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein determining that the content restriction prevents access to the second media asset comprises:
 comparing the rating for the second media asset to a threshold maximum rating associated with the content restriction; and   preventing access to the second media asset when the rating for the second media asset is greater than the threshold maximum rating associated with the content restriction.   
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein determining the rating associated with the second media asset comprises querying a database associated with metadata for the second media asset for a content rating associated with the second media asset. 
     
     
         67 . A system for preventing viewing of inappropriate content by blocking select commercials, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:
 receive an input from a user selecting a first media asset of a plurality of media assets accessible to the user;   retrieve from a server the first media asset and a commercial to be displayed during a break in the first media asset;   determine, based on metadata associated with the commercial, that the commercial is directed to a second media asset;   transmit data identifying the second media asset to a database associated with a plurality of content restrictions for the user;   in response to transmitting the data identifying the second media asset, receive, from the database, a content restriction corresponding to the second media asset;   determine whether the content restriction prevents access to the second media asset by the user;   in response to determining that the content restriction prevents access to the second media asset, prevent display of the commercial while permitting display of the first media asset.   
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the control circuitry, when permitting display of the first media asset, is further configured to:
 compare data identifying the first media asset to the database associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user; and   in response to the comparing, determine that the user is permitted access to the first media asset.   
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the commercial is a first commercial, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to replace the first commercial with a second commercial associated with a third media asset. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 69 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to select the second commercial based on a determination that the third media asset is not associated with a content restriction preventing access to the third media asset by the user. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 compare data identifying the first media asset to the database associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user; and   prevent display of the first media asset in response to determining that the first media asset is associated with a content restriction preventing access to the first media asset by the user.   
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the control circuitry, when preventing display of the commercial, is further configured to generate for display a blank screen during a duration of the commercial. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine a parental control rating of the commercial;   compare the parental control rating of the commercial to the database associated with the plurality of content restrictions for the user to determine whether the parental control rating of the commercial exceeds a threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials;   in response to determining that the parental control rating of the commercial is greater than the threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials, prevent display of the commercial; and   in response to determining that the parental control rating of the commercial is not greater than the threshold maximum parental control rating for commercials, enable access to the commercial.   
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the parental control rating of the commercial based on at least one of keywords included in closed captioning data associated with the commercial, flags included in metadata associated with the commercial, a video component of the commercial, an audio component of the commercial, and a sponsor of the commercial. 
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the control circuitry, when determining that the content restriction prevents access to the second media asset, is further configured to:
 compare the rating for the second media asset to a threshold maximum rating associated with the content restriction; and   prevent access to the second media asset when the rating for the second media asset is greater than the threshold maximum rating associated with the content restriction.   
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 75 , wherein the control circuitry, when determining the rating associated with the second media asset, is further configured to query a database associated with metadata for the second media asset for a content rating associated with the second media asset.