System and method for enabling user device control

• US 10,560,324 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiss, Andrew, Hotes, Scott, Anakata, Joseph, Schuchman, Eric, Ozer, Mitchell Scott, Haney, Ariel, Roumeliotis, Tasos
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mekonen, Tesfu N
• Application Number:
  US14/174,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20140310403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and method for controlling device use is provided. A computing system stores a first state corresponding to a status of one or more functional components of a user device. A user device stores a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the one or more functional components of the user device. An instruction to modify the status of the one or more functional components of the user device is received, and the computing system modifies the first state and the status of the one or more functional components at a network level responsive to the instruction. The user device modifies the second state and the status of the one or more functional components at a device level responsive to the instruction.

Claims

1. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

storing by a network-operable computing system a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of a mobile user device;

storing by the mobile user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the mobile user device;

receiving an instruction to control the at least one functional component of the mobile user device;

determining via network communication an availability of the mobile user device;

determining via network communication an availability of a telecommunication carrier system of a carrier network on which the mobile user device operates;

modifying by the mobile user device the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at a device level responsive to the instruction when the mobile user device is available, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disallowing via a particular application installed on the mobile user device at least one of initiating communication or receiving communication by the mobile user device; and

modifying by the computing system the first state and controlling the at least one functional component at a network level responsive to the instruction and responsive to determining that the mobile user device is unavailable, whereby a switch from the device level control to the network level control is implemented when the mobile user device is unavailable, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level comprises signaling the telecommunication carrier system of the carrier network on which the mobile user device operates, wherein communication at least one of to or from the mobile user device is blocked by a processing element within the carrier network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the instruction by the computing system;

modifying the first state and controlling the at least one functional component by the computing system at the network level at a first time;

transmitting an indication of the first state to the mobile user device at a second time after the first time when the mobile user device becomes available via network communication; and

modifying by the mobile user device the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level based on the indication of the first state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the instruction by the mobile user device;

modifying by the mobile user device the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level at a first time;

transmitting an indication of the second state to the computing system at a second time after the first time when the computing system becomes available via the carrier network; and

controlling the at least one functional component by the computing system at the network level based on the indication of the second state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of indications of requests to modify the status of the at least one functional component of the mobile user device;

modifying by the computing system at least the first state and controlling the at least one functional component at the network level responsive to the plurality of indications of requests;

modifying by the mobile user device at least the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level responsive to the plurality of indications of requests; and

storing by the computing system and by the mobile user device historical data corresponding to the requests, wherein the historical data is accessible on the computing system when the mobile user device is inaccessible and the historical data is accessible on the mobile user device when the computing system is inaccessible.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first consent following a first protocol;

controlling the at least one functional component at the network level responsive to the first consent;

obtaining a second consent following a second protocol; and

controlling the at least one functional component at the device level responsive to the second consent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level and the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprise controlling communication between a user of the mobile user device and a particular contact.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level and the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprise blocking communications at least one of to or from a particular phone number.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the particular contact based on data garnered from at least one of a contact list stored on the mobile user device, network usage, or a network accessible application server enabling a social networking application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disabling the at least one functional component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular application installed on the mobile user device enables storing and modifying of the second state, the method further comprising:

determining via network communication by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, or a failure to communicate with the mobile user device; and

disabling the at least one functional component by the computing system at the network level based on the determining by the computing system the at least one of the disabling of the particular application, the tampering with the second state, or the failure to communicate with the mobile user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling the at least one functional component comprises disabling phone calls from the mobile user device to particular contacts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the mobile user device through network communication.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the mobile user device through a network connection via at least one of carrier based protocol, internet protocol, or WiFi protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the mobile user device via a user interface of the mobile user device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the computing system through a network communication.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disallowing the initiating and receiving of communications on the mobile user device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disallowing on the mobile user device initiating of communications to and receiving of communications from at least one of a particular device, a particular contact, or a particular telephone number.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises applying a filter corresponding to the mobile user device, the filter configured to allow particular network content and disallow other particular network content to the mobile user device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the at least one functional component at least one of at the network level or at the device level at particular times based on a particular schedule.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction to control the at least one functional component comprises at least one of:

a request to limit data usage of the mobile user device;

a request to limit phone call time of the mobile user device;

or

a request to enforce one or more telecommunication carrier policies on the mobile user device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile user device is configured to access a plurality of networks, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level and the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disabling access to a particular one of the plurality of networks.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises enabling filtering of network content by the mobile user device, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level comprises enabling filtering of network content outside the mobile user device by the processing element within the carrier network.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the functional component at the device level includes triggering an action by the particular application on the mobile user device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the particular application on the mobile user device comprises a user level application.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises controlling the at least one functional component based on at least one of a time of day or a day of the week.

26. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

storing by a computing system a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of a particular user device at a network level, the computing system configured for operation within a network;

storing by the particular user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the particular user device at a device level, wherein a particular application executable on the particular user device is configured to enable storing and modifying of the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level;

receiving an instruction to control the at least one functional component of the particular user device;

modifying by the particular user device the second state and controlling by the particular user device the at least one functional component at the device level responsive to the instruction, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disallowing via the particular application at least one of initiating communication or receiving communication by the particular user device;

determining by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, or a failure to communicate with the particular user device; and

modifying by the computing system the first state and controlling by the computing system the at least one functional component at the network level responsive to the instruction and responsive to determining the at least one of the disabling of the particular application, the tampering with the second state, or the failure to communicate with the particular user device, whereby a switch to the network level control from the device level control is implemented when it is determined that the particular application is disabled, the second state is tampered with, or there is the failure to communicate with the particular user device, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level comprises signaling a telecommunication carrier system of a carrier network on which the particular user device operates, wherein communication at least one of to or from the particular user device is blocked by a processing element within the carrier network.

27. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

storing by a computing system a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of a mobile user device at a network level, the computing system configured for operation within a network;

storing by the mobile user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the mobile user device at a device level, wherein a particular application executable on the mobile user device enables storing and modifying of the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level;

modifying by the mobile user device the second state and controlling by the mobile user device the at least one functional component at the device level by disallowing via the particular application at least one of initiating communication or receiving communication by the mobile user device;

determining by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, or a failure to communicate with the mobile user device; and

modifying by the computing system the first state and controlling the functional component at the network level responsive to determining the at least one of the disabling of the particular application, the tampering with the second state, or the failure to communicate with the mobile user device, whereby a switch to the network level control from the device level control is implemented when it is determined that the particular application is disabled, the second state is tampered with, or there is the failure to communicate with the mobile user device, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level comprises signaling a telecommunication carrier system of a carrier network on which the mobile user device operates, wherein communication at least one of to or from the mobile user device is blocked by a processing element within the carrier network.

28. A computer network comprising a computing system and a user device, the computing system comprising a first processor and first data storage including instructions enabling the first processor to perform a first process comprising:

storing a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of the user device;

receiving an instruction to modify the status of the at least one functional component of the user device;

determining via network communication an availability of the user device;

determining via network communication an availability of a telecommunication carrier system of a carrier network on which the user device operates; and

modifying the first state and controlling the at least one functional component at a network level responsive to the instruction to modify the status of the at least one functional component and responsive to determining that the user device is unavailable, wherein a switch from a device level control to the network level control is implemented when the user device is unavailable, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level comprises signaling the telecommunication carrier system of the carrier network on which the user device operates, wherein communication at least one of to or from the user device is blocked by a processing element within the carrier network; and

the user device comprising a second processor and second data storage including instructions enabling the second processor to perform a second process comprising;

storing a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the user device; and

modifying the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level responsive to the instruction to modify the status of the at least one functional component when the user device is available, wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the device level comprises disallowing via an application installed on the user device at least one of initiating communication or receiving communication by the user device.

29. A method for monitoring a user device, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction to determine a status of the user device with respect to a particular functional component of the user device;

determining based on communication via a network when the user device is available;

monitoring at a device level the user device with respect to the particular functional component when the user device is available, wherein monitoring the particular functional component at the device level comprises monitoring via an application installed on the user device at least one of initiated communication or received communication by the user device;

determining when a particular network which supports communication of the user device is available;

monitoring at a network level the user device with respect to the particular functional component when the particular network is available in response to determining the user device is unavailable, whereby a switch from the device level monitoring to the network level monitoring is implemented when the user device is unavailable, and wherein monitoring the at particular functional component at the network level comprises signaling a telecommunication carrier system of a carrier network on which the user device operates, wherein communication at least one of to or from the user device is monitored by a processing element within the carrier network;

determining by at least one processor the status of the user device with respect to the particular functional component based on at least one of the monitoring at the network level or the monitoring at the device level; and

reporting the determined status.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining by the at least one processor the status of the user device with respect to the particular functional component based on the monitoring at the network level and the monitoring at the device level.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

training a classifier to integrate device level monitoring inputs and network level monitoring inputs;

receiving data from the monitoring at the device level and data from the monitoring at the network level; and

applying the classifier to the data from the monitoring at the device level and the data from the monitoring at the network level to determine the status of the user device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the particular functional component corresponds to at least one of a geographic location of the user device or a path of the user device;

monitoring the user device at the device level further comprises at least one of receiving location data or generating location data by a first process at the device level; and

monitoring the user device at the network level further comprises at least one of receiving location data or generating location data by a second process at the network level.

33. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction to control at least one functional component of a particular user device;

storing by a network-operable computing system a first state corresponding to a status of the at least one functional component of the particular user device at a network level;

storing by the particular user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the particular user device at a device level, wherein a particular application executable on the particular user device is configured to enable storing and modifying of the second state and controlling the at least one functional component at the device level;

controlling the at least one functional component at the device level when the particular user device is available via network communication by disallowing via the particular application installed on the particular user device at least one of initiating communication or receiving communication by the particular user device;

determining by the computing system a failure to communicate with the particular user device via the particular application via network communication; and

modifying by the computing system the first state and controlling by the computing system the at least one functional component at the network level responsive to the instruction and responsive to determining the failure to communicate with the particular user device via the particular application, whereby a switch from the device level control to the network level control is implemented when there is the failure to communicate with the particular user device, and wherein the controlling the at least one functional component at the network level comprises signaling a telecommunication carrier system of a carrier network on which the particular user device operates, wherein communication at least one of to or from the particular user device is blocked by a processing element within the carrier network.