Monitoring mobile phone communications

• US 20060209809A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilboy, Christopher, Ellingham, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/077,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209809A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

The specification describes systems, and operation of systems, that allows a parent or other responsible party to monitor the mobile device activities of a child. In addition, it optionally allows the parent to dynamically control the mobile device activities of the child. It relies on software, or a network adjunct, that links a mobile device to a station set or mobile phone under the control of the parent. Calling traffic to and from the mobile device may be routed to a receiver at a location monitored by the parent. In preferred embodiments, software is designed to allow the parent to intervene in the communications of the child. The intervention may take a variety of forms, such as interrupting a call in progress, terminating all call activity, interrupting or terminating Internet access. Where the mobile device is provided with pre-programmed restraining software, the intervention may be to modify the restraining software to add new restraints.

Claims

1. Method for placing a call between a mobile device and a wireless network comprising:

a. entering a dialed address in the mobile device,

b. comparing the dialed address to a dialed address list stored in the mobile device,

c. placing a call when the dialed address is on the stored dialed address list.

d. blocking a call when the dialed address is not on the stored dialed address list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dialed address list is amended using a monitor device connected to the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the call is monitored by a monitor device connected to the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the monitor device intervenes in the call in progress.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the intervention is to listen to the call in progress.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the intervention is to terminate the call in progress.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the dialed address is a telephone number.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the dialed address is an Internet access number.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the dialed address is an Internet URL.

10. Method for placing calls between a mobile device and a wireless network comprising:

a. placing calls between the mobile device and the wireless network,

b. timing the duration of the calls placed to generate a total call duration, when the total call duration reaches a predetermined value;

c. entering a dialed number in the mobile device,

d. comparing the dialed number to a dialed number list stored in the mobile device,

e. placing a call that matches a dialed number on the stored dial number list.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the dialed number list is amended using a monitor device connected to the wireless network.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein calls placed by the mobile device are compared with a call address list to determine whether an exemption applies, and applying step b. selectively to calls for which an exemption does not apply.

13. Method for placing a call between a mobile device and a wireless network wherein the call is monitored by a remote monitor device connected to the wireless network comprising:

a. entering a dialed address in the mobile device,

b. comparing the dialed address to an Internet number list stored in the mobile device,

if the dialed number matches a stored Internet number,

c. notifying the monitor device.

14. The method of claim 13 further including transmitting Internet images to the remote monitor device that duplicate Internet images transmitted to the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 13 further including:

d. entering a URL in the mobile device,

e. comparing the URL to a URL list stored in the mobile device,

f. transmitting the URL to the Internet when the URL is on the stored URL list,

g. blocking transmission of the URL to the Internet when the URL is not on the stored URL list.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the URL list is amended using a monitor device connected to the wireless network.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the monitor device terminates the Internet access between the mobile device and the wireless network.