Parental consent service

• US 20020120866A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guo, Wei-Quiang Michael, Mitchell, Christopher E., Horton, Jonathan P., Mollerstrom, Sylvia K., Cellini, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A user profile having consent information regarding a network server for a second party is created. Such consent information is received from a first party and stored in the user profile of the second party. The second party may access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent. The second party may not access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

Claims

1. A method of allowing a first party to provide or deny consent for a second party to access a network server that requires such consent prior to allowing the second party access thereto, the method comprising:

creating a user profile for the second party, the user profile for the second party having consent information regarding the network server;

receiving consent information from the first party, the consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access the network server; and

storing the consent information in the user profile of the second party;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent and wherein the second party is not allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a user profile for the first party; and

linking the user profile for the first party and the user profile for the second party such that the consent information is received from the first party by way of the user profile of the first party.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the consent information from the first party comprises receiving such consent information only by way of the user profile of the first party.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein creating the user profile for the first party includes verifying that the first party is an adult.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein verifying the first party is an adult comprises receiving a valid credit card number from the first party.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the consent information in the user profile of the second party is first consent information, the method further comprising:

receiving modified consent information from the first party, the modified consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access the network server; and

replacing the first consent information in the user profile of the second party with the modified consent information,

wherein the second party is allowed to access the network server if the modified consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent and wherein the second party is not allowed to access the network server if the modified consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

7. The method of claim 1 for allowing an adult to provide or deny consent for a child to access the network server, the method comprising:

creating a user profile for the child, the user profile for the child having consent information regarding the network server;

receiving consent information from the adult, the consent information providing or denying consent for the child to access the network server; and

storing the consent information in the user profile of the child;

wherein the child is allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the child shows that the adult has provided consent and wherein the child is not allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the child shows that the adult has denied consent.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the network server is a first network server and the consent information is first consent information, the method further comprising:

detecting an attempt by the second party to access a second network server, the second network server not having any corresponding consent information in the user profile of the second party providing or denying consent for the second party to access the second network server;

notifying the first party that the second party wishes to be provided with consent for the second party to access the second network server;

receiving second consent information from the first party, the second consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access the second network server; and

storing the second consent information in the user profile of the second party;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the second network server if the second consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent and wherein the second party is not allowed to access the second network server if the second consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

9. The method of claim 1, for allowing a first party to provide a level of consent for a second party to access a network server, the method comprising:

receiving level of consent information from the first party, the level of consent information specifying the level of consent for the second party to access the network server; and

storing the level of consent information in the user profile of the second party;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the network server in accordance with the level of consent information stored in the user profile of the second party.

10. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon for allowing a first party to provide or deny consent for a second party to access a network server that requires such consent prior to allowing the second party access thereto, the instructions being organized into modules including:

a first module for creating a user profile for the second party, the user profile for the second party having consent information regarding the network server;

a second module for receiving consent information from the first party, the consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access the network server; and

a third module for storing the consent information in the user profile of the second party;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent and wherein the second party is not allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

11. The medium of claim 10 further comprising:

a fourth module for creating a user profile for the first party;

a fifth module for linking the user profile for the first party and the user profile of the second party such that the consent information is received from the first party by way of the user profile of the first party.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the fourth module receives the consent information from the first party only by way of the user profile of the first party.

13. The medium of claim 11 wherein the module for creating the user profile for the first party comprises verifying that the first party is an adult.

14. The medium of claim 13 wherein the module for verifying the first party is an adult comprises receiving a valid credit card number from the first party.

15. The medium of claim 10 wherein the consent information in the user profile of the second party is first consent information, the computer further comprising:

a fourth module for receiving modified consent information from the first party, the modified consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access the network server;

a fifth module for replacing the first consent information in the user profile of the second party with the modified consent information;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the network server if the modified consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent and wherein the second party is not allowed to access the network server if the modified consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

16. The medium of claim 10 further comprising:

a first module for creating a user profile for the child, the user profile for the child having consent information regarding the network server;

a second module for receiving consent information from the adult, the consent information providing or denying consent for the child to access the network server; and

a third module for storing the consent information in the user profile of the child;

wherein the child is allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the child shows that the adult has provided consent and wherein the child is not allowed to access the network server if the consent information stored in the user profile of the child shows that the adult has denied consent.

17. The medium of claim 10 wherein the network server is a first network server and the consent information is first consent information, the computer further comprising:

a fourth module for detecting an attempt by the second party to access a second network server, the second network server not having any corresponding consent information in the user profile of the second party providing or denying consent for the second party to access the second network server;

a fifth module for notifying the first party that the second wishes to be provided with consent for the second party to access the second network server;

the second module for receiving second consent information from the first party, the second consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access the second network server; and

the third module for storing the second consent information in the user profile of the second party;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the second network server if the second consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has provided consent and wherein the second party is not allowed to access the second network server if the second consent information stored in the user profile of the second party shows that the first party has denied consent.

18. The medium of claim 10, for allowing a first party to provide a level of consent for a second party to access a network server, the computer further comprising:

a fourth module for receiving level of consent information from the first party, the level of consent information specifying the level of consent for the second party to access the network server; and

a fifth module for storing the level of consent information in the user profile of the second party;

wherein the second party is allowed to access the network server in accordance with the level of consent information stored in the user profile of the second party.

19. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure comprising a user profile having:

a first data field having;

consent information, the consent information providing or denying consent for the second party to access a network server; and

a second data field having;

a link, the link providing a connection to a user profile of a first profile such that the link can be used to access each user profile.