Method and apparatus for parent-controlled short message service

• US 20080146259A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Reid, John, Sharma, Alok, Chin, Frances
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method of processing short message service (SMS) calls for a subscriber'"'"'s communication device in a communication network is provided. The method comprises: receiving an SMS request involving the communication device at a short message service center; accessing a family access control database storing family access control information received for the communication device; and determining whether the short message service request should be allowed or denied based on the information found in the database.

Claims

1. A method of processing short message service (SMS) calls for a subscriber'"'"'s communication device in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving an SMS request involving the communication device at a short message service center;

accessing a family access control database storing family access control information received for the communication device; and

determining whether the short message service request should be allowed or denied based on the information found in the database.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the family access control information stored in the family access control database includes at least one of the following types of data:

whether the family access control service has been enabled or disabled;

a list of directory numbers for which all outgoing and incoming SMS calls are always allowed;

a list of directory numbers for which all outgoing and incoming SMS calls are always barred;

a list of calling periods during which short message service requests to and from directory numbers falling out of the allowed and barred lists are only allowed; and

a usage quota.

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving family access control information from the subscriber for the communication device via the Internet.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

sending an SMS rejection notification to the communication device when the SMS request is denied.

5. The method defined in claim 4, further comprising:

sending an SMS rejection notification to the subscriber when the SMS request is denied.

6. An apparatus for processing short message service (SMS) calls for a subscriber'"'"'s communication device in a communication network, the system comprising:

a family access control database storing family access control information for the communication device; and

a short message service center, wherein the short message service center is operative to access the family access control database and determining whether a short message service request should be allowed or denied based on the information found in the database.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the family access control information stored in the family access control database includes at least one of the following types of data:

whether the family access control service has been enabled or disabled;

a list of directory numbers for which all outgoing and incoming SMS calls are always allowed;

a list of directory numbers for which all outgoing and incoming SMS calls are always barred;

a list of calling periods during which short message service requests to and from directory numbers falling out of the allowed and barred lists are only allowed; and

a usage quota.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the short message service center is further operative to receive family access control information from a subscriber for the communication device via the Internet.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the short message service center is further operative to send an SMS rejection notification to the communication device when the SMS request is denied.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9, wherein the short message service center is further operative to send an SMS rejection notification to the to the subscriber when the SMS request is denied.

11. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to process short message service (SMS) calls for a communication device in a communication network, the set of program instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving an SMS request at a short message service center;

instructions for accessing a family access control database storing family access control information for the communication device; and

instructions for determining whether the short message service request should be allowed or denied based on the information found in the database.

12. The storage medium defined in claim 11, wherein the family access control information stored in the family access control database includes at least one of the following types of data:

whether the family access control service has been enabled or disabled;

a list of directory numbers for which all outgoing and incoming SMS calls are always allowed;

a list of directory numbers for which all outgoing and incoming SMS calls are always barred;

a list of calling periods during which short message service requests to and from directory numbers falling out of the allowed and barred lists are only allowed; and

a usage quota.

13. The storage medium defined in claim 11, wherein the set of program instructions further comprises instructions for receiving family access control information from a subscriber for the communication device via the Internet.

14. The storage medium defined in claim 11, wherein the set of program instructions further comprises instructions for sending an SMS rejection notification to the communication device when the SMS request is denied.

15. The storage medium defined in claim 14, wherein the set of program instructions further comprises instructions for sending an SMS rejection notification to the to the subscriber when the SMS request is denied.