SHUT OFF MECHANISM FOR ALL INTERNET TRAFFIC

• US 20160099943A1
• Filed: 10/06/2015
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STRONG BEAR, LLC
• Original Assignee: STRONG BEAR, LLC
• Inventors: ROBERTS, RODNEY B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,819,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent

Abstract

A client device providing enhanced network traffic security. The client device includes a processor and a network connection element selectively operable to provide two-way data traffic between the client device and a digital communications network such as the Internet. The client device includes a memory device managed by and accessible to the processor, and the memory device stores a network traffic schedule, which may be defined by a device operator through a shut-down mechanism user interface. The client device includes a shut-down mechanism causing the network connection element to provide the two-way data traffic between the client device and the network according to the network traffic schedule, which defines first and second time periods. The shut-down mechanism allows the network connection element to connect to the network during the first time period and prevents the network connection element to connect during the second time period.

Claims

1. A client device with enhanced network traffic security, comprising:

a processor;

a network connection element selectively operable to provide two-way data traffic between the client device and a digital communications network;

a memory device managed by and accessible to the processor, wherein the memory device stores a network traffic schedule; and

a shut-down mechanism comprising software code in the memory device that, when executed by the processor, causes the network connection element to provide the two-way data traffic according to the network traffic schedule.

2. The client device of claim 1, wherein the network traffic schedule defines a first time period and a second time period and wherein the shut-down mechanism allows the network connection element to connect to the digital communications network during the first time period and prevents the network connection element to connect to the digital communications network during the second time period.

3. The client device of claim 1, wherein the network traffic schedule defines a first time period and a second time period and wherein the shut-down mechanism operates the network connection element to connect to the digital communications network during the first time period and operates the network connection element to remain unconnected to the digital communications network during the second time period.

4. The client device of claim 3, wherein the first time period comprises a connection start time and a connection end time and wherein the shut-down mechanism operates the network connection element to terminate a connection to the digital communications network upon detection of the connection end time.

5. The client device of claim 4, wherein with the connection terminated by the network connection element access to the client device from the digital communications network is blocked.

6. The client device of claim 4, wherein the shut-down mechanism generates the network traffic schedule based on user input received by the client device.

7. The client device of claim 6, wherein the shut-down mechanism generates a user interface displayed on an output screen of the client device and adapted for receiving the user input and wherein the user input includes the connection start time and the connection end time.

8. The client device of claim 6, wherein the user interface includes a countdown clock displaying, during the first time period, a length of time until the connection end time.

9. A method for providing network security for a client device, comprising:

retrieving a network access schedule associated with the client device that defines a first time period and a second time period;

determining a current time for the client device;

when the current time is within the first time period based on the determining, turning off a network connection between the client device and a network; and

when the current time is within the second time period based on the determining, turning on a network connection between the client device and the network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the turning off and on steps are performed automatically without receiving additional user input via the client device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising when the current time is within the first time period displaying, in a user interface on the client device, a length of time until the second time period and an indication that the network connection is turned off.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising when the current time is within the second time period displaying, in a user interface on the client device, a length of time until the first time period ends and an indication that the network connection is turned on.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating the network access schedule based on a first set of user input and modifying the network access schedule based on a second set of user input entered via a user interface displayed on a screen of the client device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the network is the Internet and the network connection comprises a two-direction wired or wireless connection between the client device and the Internet.

15. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

memory storing a network access schedule for the computing device; and

a shut-down mechanism operating in a first operating mode to prevent the computing device from communicatively connecting to a network and in a second operating mode to allow the computing device to establish a communication link with other computing devices via the network, wherein the network access schedule defines start and end times of first and second time periods for operating the shut-down mechanism in the first and second operating modes.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the shut-down mechanism in the first operating mode blocks all access to the computing device via the network.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the first operating mode includes the shut-down mechanism terminating an existing communication link with the network at the start time of the first operating mode.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the second operating mode includes the shut-down mechanism terminating the communication link with the network at the end time of the second operating mode.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the terminating of the communication link is performed automatically by the shut-down mechanism free of additional input from a user of the computing device.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the shut-down mechanism operates to generate a user interface displaying parameters of the network access schedule and to receive user input modifying the displayed parameter, and, in response, to generate an updated version of the network access schedule for use by the shut-down mechanism in controlling access of the computing device to the network.