SECOND PARTY CONTROL OVER MOBILE DEVICE USAGE

• US 20120046024A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, John Ervin, McNamara, Justin, Cenciarelli, Fulvio, Kefalas, Anastasios L., MIKAN, JEFFREY CLINTON
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/86 Recipients of the notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/886 limit per terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/887 limit per user or user related number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7054 Using the phone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent

Abstract

A mechanism is provided whereby a parent, or other second party, can monitor and/or control a child'"'"'s or other first party'"'"'s wireless device usage. An interface can allow the parent to set rules for the child'"'"'s usage, and can specify that the parent should receive messages when a call is made to or from the child'"'"'s wireless device. In addition to call information, the message may prompt the parent for approval of the call connection. Thus, a parent can decide whether a call that is incoming from or outgoing to a third party should be permitted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, on a network, a communication from a sender mobile device intended for a recipient mobile device associated with a first party before transmitting the communication to the recipient mobile device;

consulting a rule established by a second party to determine that the communication is subject to approval by the second party;

responsive to determining that the communication is subject to approval, transmitting, to a second mobile device associated with the second party, a request to approve transmission of the communication to the recipient mobile device;

determining that a response to the request has not been received from the second mobile device within a predetermined amount of time; and

terminating the communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first party is a child and the second party is a parent.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a copy of the communication for transmission to the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises a list of telephone numbers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a notification that the communication is terminated to the sender mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a notification that the communication is terminated to the recipient mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is one of a text communication, an email, an instant message, and a voice communication.

8. A network device comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

receive a communication from a sender mobile device intended for a recipient mobile device associated with a first party before the communication has been transmitted to the recipient mobile device, and

transmit, to a second mobile device associated with a second party, a request to approve transmission of the communication to the recipient mobile device; and

a processor configured to;

consult a rule established by the second party to determine that the communication is subject to approval by the second party,

determine that a response to the request has not been received from the second mobile device within a predetermined amount of time, and

terminate the communication.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a notification that the communication is terminated to the recipient mobile device.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a notification that the communication is terminated to the sender mobile device.

11. The network device of claim 8, wherein the communication is one of a text communication, an email, an instant message, and a voice communication.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein the second party rule comprises at least one communication type.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein the request comprises caller identification information.

14. The network device of claim 8, wherein the request comprises address book information from the recipient mobile device.

15. A system comprising:

a verification server configured to;

detect a communication from a sender mobile device intended for a recipient mobile device associated with a first party before transmitting the communication to the recipient mobile device,

consult a rule retrieved from a settings server to determine that the communication is subject to approval by the second party,

responsive to determining that the communication is subject to approval, transmit, to a second mobile device associated with the second party, a request to approve transmission of the communication to the recipient mobile device,

determine that a response to the request has not been received from the second mobile device within a predetermined amount of time, and

terminate the communication; and

the settings server configured to generate the rule based on input received from the second party.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the verification server is further configured to transmit a notification that the communication is terminated to the recipient mobile device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the verification server is further configured to transmit a notification that the communication is terminated to the sender mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication is one of a text communication, an email, an instant message, and a voice communication.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the request comprises a text message.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the request comprises an audio recording.