Device Centric Controls For A Device Controlled Through A Web Portal

• US 20090083385A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zipit Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zipit Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Crowe, Michael Wayne, Heredia, Rafael, Greer, Frank U. IV
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

A system controls computer network communication devices in a background session in accordance with a control database. The system includes a computer network communication device having a non-volatile memory containing a unique device identifier and a communication module for communicating with a control site, the communication module being configured to generate monitor messages containing the unique device identifier and data corresponding to entry of a command by a user and to parse command messages received from the control site, and a control site comprising a device database and a control database, the control site being configured to compare data in the monitor message to control data stored in the control database in response to the monitor message having a unique device identifier that is also stored in the device database.

Claims

1. A system for controlling computer network communication devices that communicate over a computer network comprising:

a computer network communication device having a non-volatile memory containing a unique device identifier and a communication module for communicating with a control site, the communication module being configured to generate monitor messages containing the unique device identifier and data corresponding to entry of a command by a user and to parse command messages received from the control site; and

a control site comprising a device database and a control database, the control site being configured to compare data in the monitor message to control data stored in the control database in response to the monitor message having a unique device identifier that is also stored in the device database.

2. The system of claim 1, the computer network communication device being an instant messaging device.

3. The system of claim 1, the computer network communication device being a LCD photo frame.

4. The system of claim 1, the computer network communication device being a television.

5. The system of claim 1, the control site including:

a profile server, the profile server being configured to establish an administrative account for a device in response to the unique device identifier corresponding to a device identifier stored in the device database.

6. The system of claim 5, the profile server being further configured to generate control data and store control data in the control database in response to messages received in the administrative account.

7. The system of claim 6, the administrative account being a parental control account for an instant messaging terminal.

8. The system of claim 2, the communication module of the instant messaging device being further configured to detect buddy list selections, buddy list additions, and buddy list modifications and to generate monitor messages containing buddy list data.

9. The system of claim 2, the control database being configured to store time usage limits, time of day limits, and buddy restrictions in association with a unique device identifier.

10. The system of claim 2, the control site being configured to compare data from monitor messages received from the communication module of the instant messaging device to the control data stored in the control database in association with the unique device identifier stored in the device database.

11. The system of claim 2, the communication module being configured to communicate with the control site in background of a communication session between the instant messaging device and an instant messaging service.

12. A method for controlling operation of a computer network communication device that communicates over a computer network comprising:

generating monitor messages with a unique device identifier and command identification data generated at a mobile communication device;

sending the monitor messages to a control site in background to a communication session between the computer network communication device and a communication service;

verifying the unique device identifiers in monitor messages received at the control site are also stored in a device database; and

comparing the command identification data in a monitor message to control data stored in a control database in response to the unique device identifier in the monitor message also being stored in the device database.

13. The method of claim 12, the monitor message generation being performed by an instant messaging device.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating control messages to operate the computer network communication device in response to the command identification data in the monitor message failing to correspond to the control data stored in the control database.

15. The method of claim 14, the control message generation including:

generating computer network communication device stop commands in response to the command identification data corresponding to a communication from the computer network communication device outside prescribed time limits stored in the control database.

16. The method of claim 14, the control message generation including:

generating computer network communication device block commands in response to the command identification data corresponding to communication with a buddy name having a block rule stored in the control database in association with the buddy name.

17. The method of claim 14, the control message generation including:

generating computer network device block commands in response to the command identification corresponding to a data source having a block rule stored in the control database in association with the data source.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating control messages to operate the computer network communication device in response to the command identification data in the monitor message corresponding to the control data stored in the control database.

19. The method of claim 18, the control messages disabling use of a predetermined service in response to the monitor message indicating the computer network communication device is operating within a predetermined communication network.

20. The method of claim 18, the control messages delivering predetermined content in response to the monitor message indicating the computer network communication device is operating within a predetermined communication network.