SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING USER DEVICE CONTROL

• US 20140310403A1
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiss, Andrew, Hotes, Scott, Anakata, Joseph, Ozer, Mitchell Scott, Roumeliotis, Tasos, Schuchman, Eric, Haney, Ariel
• Granted Patent: US 10,560,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and method for controlling device use is provided. A computing system stores a first state corresponding to a status of one or more functional components of a user device. A user device stores a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the one or more functional components of the user device. An instruction to modify the status of the one or more functional components of the user device is received, and the computing system modifies the first state and the status of the one or more functional components at a network level responsive to the instruction. The user device modifies the second state and the status of the one or more functional components at a device level responsive to the instruction.

Claims

1. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

storing by a computing system a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of a particular user device, the computing system configured for operation within a network;

storing by the particular user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the particular user device;

receiving an instruction to modify the status of the at least one functional component of the user device;

modifying by the computing system the first state and the status of the at least one functional component at a network level responsive to the instruction;

modifying by the user device the second state and the status of the at least one functional component at a device level responsive to the instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the instruction by the computing system;

modifying the first state and modifying the status of the at least one functional component by the computing system at the network level at a first time;

transmitting an indication of the first state to the user device at a second time after the first time when the user device becomes available via the network; and

modifying by the user device the second state and modifying the status of the at least one functional component at the device level based on the indication of the first state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the instruction by the user device;

modifying by the user device the second state and modifying the status of the at least one functional component at the device level at a first time;

transmitting an indication of the second state to the computing system at a second time after the first time when the computing system becomes available via the network; and

modifying the status of the at least one functional component by the computing system at the network level based on the indication of the second state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of indications of requests to modify the status of the at least one functional component of the user device;

modifying by the computing system at least the first state and modifying statuses of the at least one functional component at a network level;

modifying by the user device at least the second state and the statuses of the at least one functional component at a device level; and

storing by the computing system and by the user device historical data corresponding to the requests, wherein the historical data is accessible on the computing system when the user device is inaccessible and the historical data is accessible on the user device when the computing system is inaccessible.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first consent following a first protocol;

modifying the status of the at least one functional component at the network level responsive to the first consent;

obtaining a second consent following a second protocol; and

modifying the status of the at least one functional component at the device level responsive to the second consent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises controlling communication between a user of the user device and a particular contact.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises blocking communications at least one of to and from a particular phone number.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the particular contact based on data garnered from at least one of a contact list stored on the user device, network usage, and an network accessible application server enabling a social networking application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises disabling at least one functional component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular application executable on the user device enables storing and modifying of the second state to modify the status of the at least one functional component, the method further comprising:

determining by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, and a failure to communicate with the particular user device; and

disabling at least one other functional component by the computing system at the network level based on the determining by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, and a failure to communicate with the particular user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling the at least one other functional component comprises disabling phone calls from the user device to particular contacts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the user device through a network communication.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the user device through a network connection via at least one of carrier based protocol, internet protocol, and WiFi protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the user device via a user interface of the user device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by the computing system through a network communication.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises disallowing the initiating and receiving of communications on the user device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises disallowing on the user device initiating of communications to and receiving of communications from at least one of a particular device, a particular contact, and a particular telephone number.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises applying a filter corresponding to the user device, the filter configured to allow particular network content and disallow other particular network content to the user device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises modifying the status of the at least one functional component at particular times based on a particular schedule.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to modify the status of the at least one functional component comprises at least one of:

a request to limit data usage of the user device;

a request to limit phone call time of the user device; and

a request to enforce one or more telecommunication carrier policies on the user device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is configured to access a plurality of networks, and wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises disabling access to a particular one of the plurality of networks.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the status of the at least one functional component at the device level comprises enabling filtering of network content by the particular user device, and wherein the modifying of the status of the at least one functional component at the network level comprises enabling filtering of network content outside the particular user device by a processing element within a carrier network.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the status of the functional component at the device level includes triggering an action by an application on the particular user device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the application on the particular user device comprises a user level application.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein modifying the status of the at least one functional component comprises controlling the at least one functional component based on at least one of a time of day and a day of the week.

26. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

storing by a computing system a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of a particular user device at a network level, the computing system configured for operation within a network;

storing by the particular user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of a particular user device at a device level, wherein a particular application executable on the particular user device is configured to enable storing and modifying of the second state and modifying the status of the at least one functional component at a device level;

receiving an instruction to modify the status of the at least one functional component of the particular user device;

determining by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, and a failure to communicate with the particular user device; and

modifying by the computing system the first state and the status of the at least one functional component at a network level responsive to the instruction and responsive to determining the at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, and a failure to communicate with the particular user device.

27. A method for controlling device use, the method comprising:

storing by a computing system a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of a particular user device at a network level, the computing system configured for operation within a network;

storing by the particular user device a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the particular user device at a device level, wherein a particular application executable on the user device enables storing and modifying of the second state and modifying the status of the at least one functional component;

determining by the computing system at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, and a failure to communicate with the particular user device; and

modifying by the computing system the first state and the status of the at least one functional component at a network level responsive to determining the at least one of a disabling of the particular application, a tampering with the second state, and a failure to communicate with the particular user device.

28. A computer network comprising a computing system and a user device, the computing system configured for:

storing a first state corresponding to a status of at least one functional component of the user device;

receiving an instruction to modify the status of the at least one functional component of the user device; and

modifying the first state and the status of the at least one functional component at a network level responsive to the instruction; and

the user device configured for;

storing a second state corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the status of the at least one functional component of the user device;

modifying the second state and the status of the at least one functional component at a device level responsive to the instruction.

29. A method for monitoring a user device, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction to determine a status of the user device with respect to a particular functional component of the user device;

determining based on communication via a network when a particular user device is available;

monitoring at a device level the user device with respect to the particular functional component when the user device is available;

determining when a particular network which supports communication of the user device is available;

monitoring at a network level the user device with respect to the particular functional component when the particular network is available;

determining by at least one processor the status of the user device with respect to the particular functional component based on at least one of the monitoring at the network level and the monitoring at the device level; and

reporting the determined status.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining by the at least one processor the status of the user device with respect to the particular functional component based on the monitoring at the network level and the monitoring at the device level.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

training a classifier to integrate device level monitoring inputs and network level monitoring inputs;

receiving data from the monitoring at the device level and data from the monitoring at the network level; and

applying the classifier to the data from the monitoring at the device level and the data from the monitoring at the network level to determine the status of the user device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the particular functional component corresponds to at least one of a geographic location of the user device and a path of the user device;

monitoring the user device at the device level comprises at least one of receiving location data and generating location data by a first process at the device level; and

monitoring the user device at the network level comprises at least one of receiving location data and generating location data by a second process at the network level.