Systems and methods for restricting the use and movement of telephony devices

• US 7,200,424 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/929,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 455/564, 455/566, 455/567, 455/550, 455/557, 455/574, 455/569
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for restricting the use and movement of plain old telephone system (POTS) devices and cellular telephones are presented. In a broad sense, the system includes an interface configured to only allow telephone calls to a limited set of telephone numbers or area codes. The interface may be configured to detect a telephone number during a call attempt and compare the number to a stored sequence list of allowed telephone numbers or area codes. If the detected number matches one of the allowed telephone numbers or area codes, the call attempt is allowed to continue. However, if the detected number does not match a number in the stored sequence list, the call attempt is blocked by the interface. The interface may also be configured to restrict the movement of a cellular telephone based on received location data indicating a current position of the cellular telephone. An alert, such as an audible alarm, is automatically generated when the location of the cellular telephone is greater than a predetermined distance from the interface to deter unauthorized movement. The interface may also be configured with a physical lock to prevent the cellular telephone from being removed from a docking station. The interface may also be configured to generate a locking signal to inhibit the use of the cellular telephone after it has been moved greater than the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. A system for restricting the use of a telephony device with a communications network comprising a cellular network, the system comprising:

an interface configured to detect a dialed sequence of numbers entered into the telephony device, wherein the interface is located between the telephony device and the communications network and is further configured to prevent the telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence matches a restricted sequence of numbers stored in the interface, the interface comprising;

a docking station configured to convey a DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence; and

a cellular telephone configured to receive the DTMF-dialing signal from the docking station; and

at least one device connector configured to couple the telephony device to the interface;

thereby enabling use of the telephony device with the cellular network via the cellular telephone when the dialed sequence does not match a restricted sequence of numbers stored in the interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises an interface controller configured to convey signaling to the telephony device and receive signaling from the telephony device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface comprises a DTMF decoder, wherein the DTMF decoder is configured to detect the dialed sequence and wherein the DTMF decoder is further configured to generate the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the interface controller further comprises a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence from the DTMF decoder;

compare the sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface controller; and

transmit the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the docking station.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor transmits the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the docking station if the dialed sequence matches a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor does not transmit the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the docking station if the dialed sequence does not match a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the interface controller is further configured to generate a telephone call over the communications network if the dialed sequence does not match a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dialed sequence comprises a telephone number.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the stored sequence comprises an area code.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the stored sequence comprises at least one telephone number.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the telephony device is a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone.

12. A method for restricting the use of a telephony device with a cellular communications network, comprising:

detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into the telephony device; and

preventing the telephony device from communicating with the cellular communications network via an interface when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface between the telephony device and the cellular communications network;

wherein the interface comprises a cellular telephone configured to receive a signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the signal comprises a DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence and wherein detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into a telephony device comprises detecting the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising enabling the telephony device to communicate with the communications network via the cellular telephone when the dialed sequence matches the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein preventing the telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in an interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence does not match a sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then preventing the transmission of the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein preventing the telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence does not match the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence matches the sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then transmitting the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the cellular telephone.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a telephone call over the communications network if the dialed sequence does match a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the dialed sequence comprises a telephone number.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the stored sequence comprises an area code.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the stored sequence comprises at least one telephone number.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the telephony device is a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising if the dialed sequence does not match a sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then generating an alarm signal to a home security system.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising emitting an alarm from the home security system in response to receiving the alarm signal.

24. An interface system for restricting the movement of a mobile telephony device, comprising:

means for receiving location data indicative of a current location of a mobile telephony device;

the mobile telephony device configured for communication with a communications network; and

a docking station wherein the docking station comprises a receiver configured to receive the location data indicative of a current location of the mobile telephony device with respect to the docking station;

wherein the interface system is further comprises means for generating an alert when the current location of the mobile telephony device is greater than a predetermined distance from the docking station.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the alert is an audible alarm emitted from the interface.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the alert is a telephone call over the communications network to a predetermined telephone number.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the docking station is configured to lock the mobile telephony device when the current location of the mobile telephony device is greater than a predetermined distance from the docking station.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the location data is Global Positioning System data.

29. A method for restricting the movement of a mobile telephony device, comprising:

receiving location data indicative of a current location of the mobile telephony device; and

generating an alert when the current location of the mobile telephony device is greater than a predetermined distance from a docking station associated with the mobile telephony device.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising locking the mobile telephony device when the current location of the mobile telephony device is greater than the predetermined distance from the docking station associated with the mobile telephony device.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the alert is an audible alarm emitted from the interface.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the alert is a telephone call over the communications network to a predetermined telephone number.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the location data is Global Positioning System data.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein locking the mobile telephony device comprises generating a jamming signal thereby causing the docking station to send out an interference signal to jam communications of the mobile telephony device.

35. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for restricting the use of a telephony device with a cellular communications network, the method comprising;

detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into the telephony device; and

preventing the telephony device from communicating with the cellular communications network via an interface when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface between the telephony device and the cellular communications network;

wherein the interface comprises a cellular telephone configured to receive a signal indicative of the dialed sequence for dialing on the cellular telephone.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the signal comprises a DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence and wherein detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into a telephony device comprises detecting the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 further comprising enabling the telephony device to communicate with the communications network via the cellular telephone when the dialed sequence matches the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein preventing the telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in an interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence does not match a sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then preventing the transmission of the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the cellular telephone.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein preventing the telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence does not match a sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then preventing the transmission of the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the cellular telephone.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39 further comprising generating a telephone call over the communications network if the dialed sequence does match a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

41. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for restricting the movement of a mobile telephony device via an interface to a communications network, comprising:

receiving location data indicative of a current location of the mobile telephony device; and

generating an alert when the current location of the mobile telephony device is greater than a predetermined distance from a docking station associated with the mobile telephony device;

wherein the interface comprises the mobile telephony device and the docking station.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 further comprising locking the mobile telephony device when the current location of the mobile telephony device is greater than the predetermined distance from the docking station associated with the mobile telephony device.