Abstract

An electronic control device is connected in the power supply line to an electrical appliance to limit the amount of time the appliance can be used. In the illustrated embodiments, the invention permits a television to be put under parental control in order to limit the viewing time of each child in the family to a predetermined "allowance," for example, ten hours per week. The allowance is automatically refreshed at the end of each week. A current sensing circuit is included in the device to enable the device to monitor the on/off status of the television under control. The provision of the on/off information enables the control device to operate with numerous advantages, including permitting each child to simply turn off the television when he has completed his viewing without the necessity of "signing off" at the control device. Also disclosed is a system for controlling multiple televisions in a household by providing a master control device at one television and a slave control device at each remote television.