Method and Apparatus for Implementing Parental Controls for a Portable Media Device
First Claim
1. A method for controlling the use of features associated with a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
- processing a request to access a feature, the request being initiated by a user;
determining whether at least one constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user, the at least one being associated with access to a feature of the portable electronic device;
permitting access to the feature when it is determined that the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user; and
denying access to the feature when it is determined that the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is not currently accessible to the user.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus which allow parents to control the access of their children to features of a portable electronic device are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for controlling the use of features associated with a portable electronic device includes setting at least one constraint associated with access to a feature of the portable electronic device and processing a user request to access the feature. The method can also include determining whether the constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user, and permitting access to the feature when the indication is that the feature is currently accessible to the user. Finally, access to the feature can be denied if the indication is that the feature is not currently accessible to the user.
97 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for controlling the use of features associated with a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
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processing a request to access a feature, the request being initiated by a user; determining whether at least one constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user, the at least one being associated with access to a feature of the portable electronic device; permitting access to the feature when it is determined that the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user; and denying access to the feature when it is determined that the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is not currently accessible to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product suitable for controlling the use of features associated with a portable electronic device, the computer program product comprising:
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code devices that set at least one constraint associated with access to a feature of the portable electronic device; code devices that process a request to access the feature, the request being obtained from a user; code devices that determine whether the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user; code devices that permit access to the feature when it is determined that the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is currently accessible to the user; and code devices that deny access to the feature when it is determined that the at least one constraint indicates that the feature is not currently accessible to the user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A portable electronic device arranged to control access to at least one element associated with the portable electronic device, the portable electronic device comprising:
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a first interface, the first interface being suitable for obtaining control information associated with an ability to access the at least one element; a memory that stores the control information and the at least one element; and a device usage manager, the device usage manager being suitable for obtaining the control information from the memory and using the control information to limit the ability of a user to access the element, the device usage manager being arranged to determine whether access to the element by the user is allowed at a current time and to prevent the user from accessing the element if it is determined that access to the element is not allowed at the current time, wherein the device usage manager is further arranged to allow the user access to the element if it is determined that access to the element is allowed at the current time. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification