SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR RESTRICTING NETWORK ACCESS

• US 20170339067A1
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: McSchooler, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 11,196,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for restricting user devices from accessing a communication network. In one implementation, multiple user devices are assigned to a user profile. At least one access parameter is designated for the user profile. An access device monitors data usage, time usage, and content usage of each of the devices associated with the user profile. In some examples, the access device may consolidate the data usage and time usage of all of the devices. If one or more of the consolidated data usage, consolidated time usage, or content usage violates the access parameter of the user profile, the access device restricts at least one of the multiple user devices from accessing the communication network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

assigning a plurality of user devices to a user profile;

designating at least one access parameter for the user profile;

monitoring data usage, time usage, and content usage of each of the plurality of user devices;

determining that one or more of the data usage, time usage, or content usage violate the at least one access parameter of the user profile; and

restricting at least one of the plurality of user devices from accessing a communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one access parameter comprises one or more of a data usage limit, a time usage limit, a time usage range, and content categories.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying an administrator device when at least one of the plurality of user devices is restricted from accessing the communication network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification comprises an indication of the at least one access parameter that was violated.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the administrator device to allow the at least one of the plurality of user devices to continue accessing the communication network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

consolidating the data usage and time usage of the plurality of user devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein consolidating the data usage comprises summing the total data used by the plurality of user devices.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein consolidating the time usage comprises summing the total time the plurality of user devices have been used.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content usage comprises one or more categories of content accessed by the plurality of user devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

designating two or more access parameters for the user profile; and

determining that two or more of the data usage, time usage, or content usage violate two or more of the access parameters.

11. An access device, comprising:

a local area network (LAN) communication module in communication with a plurality of user devices;

a wide area network (WAN) communication module in communication with an external network;

at least one filter to selectively restrict communications between the plurality of user devices and the external network;

a storage unit to store at least one user profile associated with the plurality of user devices and at least one access parameter for the at least one user profile; and

a control logic to configure the at least one filter based on the user profile and the at least one access parameter,

wherein the control logic monitors data usage, time usage, and content usage of each of the plurality of user devices, and

wherein the at least one filter restricts at least one of the plurality of user devices from accessing the external network based on one or more of the data usage, time usage, or content usage violating the at least one access parameter.

12. The access device of claim 11, wherein the at least one access parameter comprises one or more of a data usage limit, a time usage limit, a time usage range, and content categories.

13. The access device of claim 11, wherein the control logic is configured to notify an administrator device when at least one of the plurality of user devices is restricted from accessing the communication network.

14. The access device of claim 13, wherein the notification comprises an indication of the at least one access parameter that was violated.

15. The access device of claim 13, wherein the control logic is configured to receive an instruction from the administrator device to allow the at least one of the plurality of user devices to continue accessing the communication network.

16. The access device of claim 11, wherein the control logic is further configured to consolidate the data usage and time usage of the plurality of user devices.

17. The access device of claim 16, wherein consolidating the data usage comprises summing the total data used by the plurality of user devices.

18. The access device of claim 16, wherein consolidating the time usage comprises summing the total time the plurality of user devices have been used.

19. The access device of claim 11, wherein the content usage comprises one or more categories of content accessed by the plurality of user devices.

20. The access device of claim 11, wherein the storage unit stores two or more access parameters for the user profile, and wherein the at least one filter restricts at least one of the plurality of user devices from accessing the external network based on two or more of the 4 data usage, time usage, or content usage violating two or more of the access parameters.