METHOD AND APARATUS FOR BEARER AND SERVER INDEPENDENT PARENTAL CONTROL ON SMARTPHONE, MANAGED BY SMARTPHONE
First Claim
1. A master mobile phone, comprising:
- a user interface of a parental control application to allow a master user on the master mobile phone to interactively manage and control at least one child mobile phone, wherein a set-up phase is to identify whether a phone is to act as a master mobile phone or child mobile phone;
an authentication agent configured to enable the master mobile phone to authenticate a data connection session between the master mobile phone and the at least one child mobile phone, the authentication to utilize a security engine coupled to the master mobile phone for encrypting and decrypting messages and/or certificates;
a policy management and enforcement agent to initiate changes in a control policy in the at least one child mobile phone and record the changes in a secure storage coupled to the master mobile phone, wherein (i) the control policy defines control and management of at least one feature of the child mobile phone and (ii) the child mobile phone restricts, redirects, and/or monitors the at least one feature of the child mobile phone, according to the control policy;
a communication agent configured to send requests and control policy changes to the at least one child mobile phone, and perform a handshake communication between the at least one child mobile phone and the master mobile phone to initiate the data connection session via a local communication protocol between the master mobile phone and the at least one child mobile phone, wherein the master mobile phone and the child mobile phone communicate via a TCP/IP protocol after the data connection session is initiated via the local communication protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, the invention involves parental or master control of a child or subordinate mobile phone without service provider intervention. An embodiment of the invention is a system and method relating to master control of the subordinate smart phone using features on the smart phones, and independent of features provided by the phone service providers. Communication between the master and subordinate phones may be initiated using near field communication, Bluetooth, direct connect to a PC, or by other secure, local wireless or wired connections. Once initiated, desired communication events are captured by the parental control application to effect control policies on the subordinate phone. Communication between the phones may be encrypted to prevent malicious intervention of message traffic. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A master mobile phone, comprising:
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a user interface of a parental control application to allow a master user on the master mobile phone to interactively manage and control at least one child mobile phone, wherein a set-up phase is to identify whether a phone is to act as a master mobile phone or child mobile phone; an authentication agent configured to enable the master mobile phone to authenticate a data connection session between the master mobile phone and the at least one child mobile phone, the authentication to utilize a security engine coupled to the master mobile phone for encrypting and decrypting messages and/or certificates; a policy management and enforcement agent to initiate changes in a control policy in the at least one child mobile phone and record the changes in a secure storage coupled to the master mobile phone, wherein (i) the control policy defines control and management of at least one feature of the child mobile phone and (ii) the child mobile phone restricts, redirects, and/or monitors the at least one feature of the child mobile phone, according to the control policy; a communication agent configured to send requests and control policy changes to the at least one child mobile phone, and perform a handshake communication between the at least one child mobile phone and the master mobile phone to initiate the data connection session via a local communication protocol between the master mobile phone and the at least one child mobile phone, wherein the master mobile phone and the child mobile phone communicate via a TCP/IP protocol after the data connection session is initiated via the local communication protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A child mobile phone, comprising:
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a plurality of communication features of the child mobile phone to be controlled by at least one authenticated master mobile phone, wherein control of the communication features is transparent to a user of the child mobile phone; a policy management and enforcement agent to initiate changes in a control policy in the child mobile phone and record the changes in a secure storage coupled to the child mobile phone, wherein (i) the control policy defines control and management of at least one feature of the child mobile phone and (ii) the policy management and enforcement agent restricts, redirects, and/or monitors the at least one feature of the child mobile phone, according to the control policy; an authentication agent configured to enable the child mobile phone to authenticate a data connection session between a master mobile phone and the child mobile phone, the authentication to utilize a security engine coupled to the child mobile phone for encrypting and decrypting messages and/or certificates; a communication agent configured to receive requests and control policy changes from the master mobile phone, and perform a handshake communication between the child mobile phone and the master mobile phone to initiate the data connection session via a local communication protocol between the master mobile phone and the child mobile phone, wherein the master mobile phone and the child mobile phone communicate via a TCP/IP protocol after the data connection session is initiated via the local communication protocol. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause a mobile phone to:
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categorize that the mobile phone is to be a master phone or a child phone based on a selection by a master user; initiate a message handshake protocol between the master phone and a child phone in response to categorizing that the mobile phone is to be the master phone; initiate a data connection session between the master phone and the child phone via a local communication protocol between the master phone and the child phone; communicate between the master phone and the child phone via a TCP/IP protocol after the data connection session is initiated via the local communication protocol; request authenticating of the master phone to the child phone; control features of the child phone by the master phone, after authentication by sending a control policy to the child phone; and define control and management of at least one feature of the child phone in the control policy. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause a mobile phone to:
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categorize that the mobile phone is to be a master phone or a child phone based on a selection by a master user; respond to a message handshake protocol initiation between a master phone and the child phone, in response to categorizing that the mobile phone is to be the child phone ; initiate a data connection session between the master phone and the child phone via a local communication protocol between the master phone and the child phone; communicate between the master phone and the child phone via a TCP/IP protocol after the data connection session is initiated via the local communication protocol; receive a request for authentication of the master phone by the child phone; authenticate the master phone by the child phone; receive a request from the master phone, by the child phone, wherein the request received by the child phone comprises a control policy change, the control policy change to define control and management of at least one feature of the child phone in a control policy; and restrict, redirect, and/or monitor the at least one feature of the child phone, according to the control policy as updated by the control policy change. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification