Method and system for providing supervisory control over wireless phone usage

• US 7,197,321 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xius Holding Corp. (Megasoft Limited)
• Original Assignee: Boston Communications Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Erskine, Thomas, Sonberg, Kenneth W., Rudisill, Luther
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US10/784,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/565, 455/407, 455/3.05, 455/456.1, 455/560, 455/411, 379/196, 379/88.01, 705/71, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/39 Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system for controlling wireless phone usage enables a supervisor to establish user profiles for supervised users of wireless phones across a range of parameters which are stored in a user profile database. Such parameters may include one or more locations at which use of the wireless phone is restricted or permitted. In addition, restrictions on phone use may be provided based upon total phone usage within a specified control period, time periods, dates or days of the week during which phone use is restricted or permitted. One or more lists including numbers that are always-accessible may be provided and one or more lists including numbers that are never-accessible may also be provided. In the event a call does not satisfy predefined criteria, the call is blocked. Predetermined messages may be played to the called or calling party as applicable when a call is blocked. Boolean combinations of restrictions and permissive use criteria for the wireless phone may be specified to provide for flexibility when establishing use criteria for the wireless phone.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communications from a first wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

storing within a database at least one parameter corresponding to at least one restriction on use of said first wireless communication device for outgoing communications, said at least one restriction comprising at least one of a time of day restriction defining at least one time period during which an outgoing communication from said first wireless communication device is not permitted, an accessibility restriction comprising at least one identifier associated with a second communication device that cannot be reached from said first wireless communication device, and a location restriction defining at least one location at which an outgoing communication from said first wireless communication device is not permitted;

forwarding said at least one parameter from said database to said first wireless communication device and storing said at least one parameter in a memory within said first wireless communication device;

in response to an attempt to initiate a communication from said first wireless communication device to said second communication device, retrieving said at least one parameter from said memory and determining via use of a processor within said first wireless communication device, whether a connection of said communication from said first wireless communication device to said second communication device is contrary to said at least one restriction;

in the event the connection of said communication from said first wireless communication device to said second communication device is not contrary to said at least one restriction, allowing the communication between said first wireless communication device and said second communication device; and

in the event the connection of said communication from said first wireless communication device to said second communication device is contrary to said at least one restriction, preventing the communication from said first wireless communication device to said second communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication is a telephone call, said first wireless communication device comprises a wireless phone, and said second communication device is another telephone and said preventing step includes the step of outputting a predetermined message for delivery to said wireless phone indicating that said call cannot be connected due to a restriction on use.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said predetermined message indicates that said second communication device associated with said identifier is inaccessible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said accessibility restriction defining at least one identifier that cannot be reached from said first wireless communication device comprises a list of identifiers associated with other communication devices that are inaccessible from said first wireless communication device, said method further including the steps of:

determining whether an identifier associated with said second communication device is included in said list of identifiers; and

in the event said identifier is included in said list of identifiers, preventing said communication from being completed.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

determining whether an identifier corresponding to said second communication device is included in a list of identifiers that can always be reached; and

in the event the connection of said communication is contrary to a use restriction comprising one of said time, date, and location restriction, and said identifier corresponding to said second communication device is included in said list of identifiers corresponding to other communication devices that can always be reached, allowing said communication between said first wireless communication device and said second communication device to proceed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a wireless phone, said second communication device comprise another phone, said communication is a call from said wireless phone to said other phone, the method further including the steps of:

determining whether a predetermined allocation of time for a specified control period associated with said wireless phone has been fully depleted;

determining whether an identifier corresponding to said other phone is included in a list of identifiers associated with other phones that may always be called; and

in the event said predetermined allocation of time associated with said wireless phone has been fully depleted and said identifier corresponding to said other phone is in said list of identifiers that may always be called, connecting said wireless phone to said other phone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining step comprises the step of executing program code on said processor within said first wireless communication device to determine whether the connection of said communication is contrary to said at least one restriction.

8. Apparatus for controlling usage of a wireless device comprising:

a first memory within said wireless device for storing at least one parameter specifying at least one restriction on use of said wireless device for outgoing communications, said at least one restriction on use comprising at least one of a time of day restriction defining times during which an outgoing communication from said wireless device is not permitted, an accessibility restriction defining at least one identifier associated with another communication device that is inaccessible for outgoing communications from said wireless device, and a location restriction defining at least one restricted location from which an outgoing communications from said wireless device is not permitted;

at least one processor within said wireless device;

a second memory operable to store program code executable on said at least one processor; and

program code stored in said second memory and executable on said at least one processor, said program code operable;

to detect the initiation of a communication from said wireless device to said other communication device and, responsive to said initiation, to determine whether a connection of said communication between said wireless device and said other communication device is contrary to said at least one restriction;

to permit said communication from said wireless device to said other communication device in the event said connection is not contrary to said at least one restriction; and

to prevent said communication from said wireless device to said other communication device in the event said communication is contrary to at least one of said at least one restriction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first and second memories comprise different portions of the same memory.

10. A system for controlling usage of a wireless device, comprising:

at least one server operable to execute a billing process for controlling billing of at least one call involving said wireless device, and to execute a supervisory process for controlling usage of said wireless device;

at least one first database containing billing parameters and predetermined billing criteria applicable to said wireless device, said at least one first database being accessible by said at least one server during execution of said billing process,

wherein said billing process is operative to permit a billing administrator to establish said billing parameters and said predetermined billing criteria in said at least one first database; and

a second database containing at least one restriction parameter defining at least one restriction on the use of,

wherein said supervisory process is operative to permit an account supervisor having secure access rights to said second database to specify said at least one restriction parameter,

wherein said billing process is operative to determine if said call is connectable based upon said billing parameters and said predetermined billing criteria,

wherein said supervisory process is operative to determine if said call is connectable based upon whether said call, if connected, would violate said at least one restriction on the use of said wireless device,

wherein, in the event one of said billing process and said supervisory process determines that said call involving said wireless device is not connectable, said system is operative to prevent said call involving said wireless device from being connected, and

wherein, in the event both of said billing process and said supervisory process determine that said call involving said wireless device is connectable, said system is operative to allow said call involving said wireless device to be connected.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one server comprises a single server operative to execute said billing process and said supervisory process.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said first database and said second database comprise portions of a single database.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said second database contains a value defining a time duration that said wireless device may be used within a predetermined period, wherein said predetermined period comprises a calendar month and said value comprises a specified number of minutes, and wherein said supervisory process is operative:

to maintain a record of time usage for said wireless phone within said predetermined period; and

to prevent said call involving said wireless phone from being connected in the event said record of time usage indicates that said wireless phone has been used within said predetermined period for a period equal to said time duration.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said supervisory process is operative to maintain a record of time usage for said wireless device within a predetermined period, wherein said second database includes an always accessible number associated with another communication device that may always be called by said wireless device, and wherein said billing process is operative to exclude time involving calls between said wireless device and said other communication device from said record of time usage.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said billing administrator has first defined access rights to information contained within said at least one first database, and wherein said account supervisor has second defined access rights to information contained within said second database, said second defined access rights being different from said first defined access rights.