System for secure internet access for children

• US 20090064302A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian A. Colella
• Original Assignee: Brian A. Colella
• Inventors: Colella, Brian A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for secure internet access by children that assigns each child a Safe Card Scanner with integral fingerprint scanner and a Caddy-Pilot for Kids (intelligent card reader and docking station) into which the Safe Card Scanner docks for biometric-secure internet access for children. Both the Safe Card Scanner and Caddy-Pilot for Kids have internal memory and device ID numbers stored therein. At registration each child is assigned a user ID corresponding with card ID number and a registration record is compiled including the assigned user ID and photo data plus the Safe Card Scanner and Caddy-Pilot for Kids ID numbers. Parents author a parental ruleset for their child and the ruleset is stored by a host ASP. The child then activates their Safe Card scanner by an initial fingerprint scan, a portion of which is stored locally on the Safe Card scanner (along with the assigned device ID number). Given a registered/activated Safe Card scanner, the child can access the internet from any web-enabled computer simply by plugging the Caddy-Pilot for Kids into the computer'"'"'s USB port. The Caddy-Pilot for Kids automatically opens a browser program and loads the URL of the sponsoring ASP. The child than inserts their Safe Card scanner into the Caddy-Pilot for Kids, which automatically initiates a scan of their fingerprint, which instantaneously captures a portion of their fingerprint minutia and compares it to the minutia stored previously at enrollment activation, thereby authenticating that child as the authorized user of that Safe Card Scanner. Once a local authentication has taken place the Safe Card scanner checks the assigned user ID plus the Safe Card Scanner and Caddy-Pilot for Kids ID numbers to the registration record, authenticates the child user, and pre-loads the parental control ruleset. The child-users then have a restricted safe and secure but full internet experience including online shopping malls, Chat Rooms, Libraries, games, sports, etc.

Claims

1. A system for regulating internet access by children in accordance with a predefined ruleset, comprising:

a plurality of Safe Cards, each Safe Card having an integrated fingerprint scanner, local memory, and each of said Safe Cards being registered to a particular child user and activated by an initial fingerprint scan of said user in which a portion of the user'"'"'s digitized fingerprint “

minutia”

is stored on said local memory along with a unique device ID number of said Safe Card;

a corresponding plurality of Card Caddies for kids, each Card Caddy for kids having an integrated USB port connector for connection to a computer, a dock for insertion of said corresponding Safe Card, and local memory, each of said Card Caddies for kids being registered to the same child user and having a unique device ID number and Childs ID number stored in said local memory;

at least one web-enabled computer server maintained by an application service provider (ASP), said server including a secure web portal for restricted online browsing by said child users, and a resident database including data correlating registered users with a record of assigned Card Caddy ID, assigned Safe Card ID, and a parental control ruleset.