Regulating access to electronic entertainment to incentivize desired behavior

• US 10,373,411 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Tyler, Cooper, Douglas, Smallwood, Israel, Demuth, Josephine, Wolf, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhaval V
• Application Number:
  US15/613,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20180350173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 340 551, 340 522, 340 526, 340 56, 340 582, 340 54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

In one example, the present disclosure describes a device, computer-readable medium, and method for regulating access to electronic entertainment to incentivize desired behavior. For instance, in one example, the behavior of an individual is monitored through data received from an electronic device. The behavior is compared to a predefined behavioral goal stored in a profile for the individual, and a predefined incentive associated with satisfaction of the predefined behavioral goal by the user is identified. The predefined incentive comprises access to an electronic entertainment medium. An instruction to the electronic entertainment medium is generated to grant access to the individual when it is determined that the individual has satisfied the predefined behavioral goal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a processor deployed in a communication network, a behavior of an individual through data received from an electronic device associated with the individual;

comparing, by the processor, the behavior to a predefined behavioral goal stored in a profile for the individual, wherein the predefined behavioral goal comprises a safe driving habit;

identifying, by the processor, a predefined incentive associated with satisfaction of the predefined behavioral goal by the individual, wherein the predefined incentive comprises an access to an electronic entertainment medium, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is associated with a digital service that is accessible via the electronic device associated with the individual over the communication network, wherein the digital service comprises a data service or a video streaming service; and

transmitting, by the processor, an instruction to the electronic entertainment medium to grant the access to the individual when it is determined that the individual has satisfied the predefined behavioral goal, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is deployed in the communication network as a network-based service, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is distinct from the endpoint device associated with the individual.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavioral goal further comprises a target level of physical activity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic device comprises a fitness tracker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a connected vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting when the behavior results in a predefined threshold being crossed for a health related metric, based on the comparing; and

triggering an alert to an emergency responder in response to the detecting.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

collecting the data from a plurality of sources including the electronic device; and

normalizing the data from the plurality of sources, such that the data from the plurality of sources matches a common nomenclature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavioral goal and the predefined incentive are customizable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined behavioral goal and the predefined incentive are customizable by a user other than the individual.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

revoking another predefined incentive that has already been granted to the individual in response to a request from a user who has control over the profile.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically modifying the predefined behavioral goal, without an explicit instruction from a user who has control over the profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatically modifying is performed in response to a determination that the individual is not attempting to satisfy one or more challenging behavioral goals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically modifying comprises changing another predefined incentive that is associated with satisfaction of at least one goal of the one or more challenging behavioral goals.

9. The method of 1, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface that illustrates a progress made by the individual toward satisfying the predefined behavioral goal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface further illustrates another predefined incentive that has already been granted to the individual.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface further illustrates how much of the another predefined incentive that has already been granted to the individual has been consumed by the individual.

16. A device, comprising:

a processor deployed in a communication network; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

monitoring a behavior of an individual through data received from an electronic device associated with the individual;

comparing the behavior to a predefined behavioral goal stored in a profile for the individual, wherein the predefined behavioral goal comprises a safe driving habit;

identifying a predefined incentive associated with satisfaction of the predefined behavioral goal by the individual, wherein the predefined incentive comprises an access to an electronic entertainment medium, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is associated with a digital service that is accessible via the electronic device associated with the individual over the communication network, wherein the digital service comprises a data service or a video streaming service; and

transmitting an instruction to the electronic entertainment medium to grant the access to the individual when it is determined that the individual has satisfied the predefined behavioral goal, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is deployed in the communication network as a network-based service, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is distinct from the endpoint device associated with the individual.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring a behavior of an individual through data received from an electronic device associated with the individual;

comparing the behavior to a predefined behavioral goal stored in a profile for the individual, wherein the predefined behavioral goal comprises a safe driving habit;

identifying a predefined incentive associated with satisfaction of the predefined behavioral goal by the individual, wherein the predefined incentive comprises an access to an electronic entertainment medium, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is associated with a digital service that is accessible via the electronic device associated with the individual over the communication network, wherein the digital service comprises a data service or a video streaming service; and

transmitting an instruction to the electronic entertainment medium to grant the access to the individual when it is determined that the individual has satisfied the predefined behavioral goal, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is deployed in the communication network as a network-based service, wherein the electronic entertainment medium is distinct from the endpoint device associated with the individual.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the predefined behavioral goal further comprises a target level of physical activity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the electronic device comprises a fitness tracker.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the electronic device comprises a connected vehicle.