System and method for preventing undesirable communications from smart devices

• US 10,402,048 B1
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colossus Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Colossus Mobile Applications, LLC
• Inventors: Carman, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Fibbi, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US14/878,124
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent

Abstract

System and method for preventing undesirable smart device communications. A system includes memory for storing a list of contacts, the memory integrated into a smart device; and a locking application configured to permit a user to select and lock one or more contacts included within said list of contacts such that the user is unable to communicate with the selected one or more contacts via said smart device. The locking application may be further configured to permit a user to select a pre-established time period during which the one or more selected contacts remain locked. Challenges may be presented to the user to unlock the contacts in advance of the lockout time expiring. Optional features include GPS tracking, rewards, ride and networking modules.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

memory for storing a list of contacts, said memory integrated into a smart device; and

a locking application configured to permit a user to select and lock one or more contacts included within said list of contacts such that said user is unable to communicate, during a user-selected time period, with said selected one or more contacts via said smart device, said locking application further configured to provide a user multiple unique locking options from which to select relative to each contact, said multiple unique locking options comprising at least a total lockout mode whereby selected contacts are unlocked after the expiration of a user-selected total lockout mode time period and a challenge lockout mode whereby selected contacts may be unlocked responsive to a user successfully undertaking a plurality of skill-based challenges prior to the expiration of a user-selected challenge lockout mode time period; and

wherein said plurality of skill-based challenges are automatically presented to said user at pre-established time intervals during said user-selected challenge lockout mode time period such that said user is provided, multiple, time-spaced, skill-based challenges to unlock said selected contacts prior to the expiration of said user-selected challenge lockout mode time period, said pre-established time intervals are automatically selected according to said user-selected challenge lockout mode time period.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a GPS tracking module.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a rewards module.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a ride module.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a networking module configured to broadcast certain user information to other users of said locking application.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said locking application is further configured to randomly select a pre-established time period during which the one or more selected contacts remain locked.

7. A method comprising:

providing a locking application for download to memory of a smart device, wherein said locking application is configured to permit a user to select and lock one or more contacts within a list of contacts stored in memory of said smart device such that said user is unable to communicate, during a user-selected time period, with said selected one or more contacts via said smart device, said locking application further configured to provide a user multiple unique locking options from which to select relative to each contact, said multiple unique locking options comprising at least a total lockout mode whereby selected contacts are unlocked after the expiration of a user-selected total lockout mode time period and a challenge lockout mode whereby selected contacts may be unlocked responsive to a user successfully undertaking a plurality of skill-based challenges prior to the expiration of a user-selected challenge lockout mode time period; and

presenting to said user skill-based challenges at pre-established time intervals during said user-selected challenge lockout mode time period such that said user is provided, multiple, time-spaced, skill-based challenges to unlock said selected contacts prior to the expiration of said user-selected challenge lockout mode time period, said pre-established time intervals are automatically selected according to said user-selected challenge lockout mode time period.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing said locking application further configured to randomly select a pre-established time period during which the one or more selected contacts remain locked.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing a networking module configured to broadcast certain user information to other users of said locking application.