Television viewing control unit
US5283475A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 16, 1991 |
| Grant date | Feb 1, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 16, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N5/64
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A lockable control box for a television is designed to have the television plug attached to a timer. A programmable control panel is used to regulate the hours the television is able to be turned on, and the control box comes equipped with three specially designed security features. The first of these is a plug lock which prevents electrical plugs from being disconnected from the control unit. Secondly, a lockable door is provided so as to prevent the unit from being reprogrammed except by a person having an associated key. Lastly, a circuit breaker is provided which is designed to be tripped if the unit is unplugged from the wall. These three security features prevent children from tampering with the television set.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.