Method and system for providing supervisory control over wireless phone usage
First Claim
1. A computer based method of controlling the use of a wireless device comprising the steps of:
- creating in a database a supervisory account having a supervisory account identifier associated with said supervisory account, said supervisory account including information pertaining to the use of at least one wireless device including said wireless device, said information being protected by a password and, at least some of said information being modifiable by an administrator of said supervisory account having access to said password;
storing in said supervisory account in association with said supervisory account identifier in response to a request by said administrator, a wireless device identifier associated with said wireless device and at least one modifiable restriction governing the use of said wireless device;
storing in said database in association with said supervisory account identifier, a code value corresponding to a cut-through code, wherein said code-value is useable by said administrator to permit said administrator to establish communication with said wireless device at a time when the use of said wireless device is restricted;
receiving an indication of an intended communication from a communication device to said wireless device;
determining whether said intended communication violates said at least one restriction governing the use of said wireless device prior to connection of said communication between said communication device and said wireless device;
in the event said determining step indicates that the connection of said intended communication violates said at least one restriction and an input value corresponding to said stored code value is not received from said communication device within a predetermined time interval, generating a control message of a first type to prevent said communication from proceeding; and
in the event said determining step indicates that the connection of said intended communication would violate said at least one restriction pertaining to the use of said wireless device and said input value corresponding to said code value is received from said communication device within said predetermined time interval, generating a control message of a second type to allow said communication to be proceed.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A computer based method of controlling the use of a wireless device comprising the steps of:
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creating in a database a supervisory account having a supervisory account identifier associated with said supervisory account, said supervisory account including information pertaining to the use of at least one wireless device including said wireless device, said information being protected by a password and, at least some of said information being modifiable by an administrator of said supervisory account having access to said password; storing in said supervisory account in association with said supervisory account identifier in response to a request by said administrator, a wireless device identifier associated with said wireless device and at least one modifiable restriction governing the use of said wireless device; storing in said database in association with said supervisory account identifier, a code value corresponding to a cut-through code, wherein said code-value is useable by said administrator to permit said administrator to establish communication with said wireless device at a time when the use of said wireless device is restricted; receiving an indication of an intended communication from a communication device to said wireless device; determining whether said intended communication violates said at least one restriction governing the use of said wireless device prior to connection of said communication between said communication device and said wireless device; in the event said determining step indicates that the connection of said intended communication violates said at least one restriction and an input value corresponding to said stored code value is not received from said communication device within a predetermined time interval, generating a control message of a first type to prevent said communication from proceeding; and in the event said determining step indicates that the connection of said intended communication would violate said at least one restriction pertaining to the use of said wireless device and said input value corresponding to said code value is received from said communication device within said predetermined time interval, generating a control message of a second type to allow said communication to be proceed. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A computer based system for controlling the use of a wireless device by a wireless device user, said system comprising:
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a database stored in a storage device, said database including a supervisory account and a supervisory account identifier associated with said supervisory account, said supervisory account including information pertaining to the use of at least one wireless device including said wireless device, said information contained in said supervisory account being protected by a password and modifiable by an administrator of said supervisory account having access to said password; said supervisory account containing, in association with said supervisory account identifier, a wireless device identifier associated with said wireless device and at least one parameter defining at least one restriction governing the use of said wireless device by said wireless device user; said supervisory account having an associated code value corresponding to a cut-through code, wherein said code value is stored in association with said supervisory account identifier and wherein said code-value is useable by said administrator to establish communication with said wireless device at a time when the use of said wireless device is restricted; at least one computer operative to; receive an indication of an intended communication from a communication device to said wireless device; determine using said at least one parameter whether said intended communication violates said at least one restriction governing the use of said wireless device prior to connection of said communication between said communication device and said wireless device; generate a control message of a first type to prevent said communication from proceeding in the event said at least one computer determines that the connection of said intended communication would violate said at least one restriction and an input value corresponding to said stored code value is not received from said communication device within a predetermined time interval; and generate a control message of a second type to allow said communication to proceed in the event said at least one computer determines that the connection of said intended communication would violate said at least one restriction pertaining to the use of said wireless device and said input value corresponding to said code value is received from said communication device within said predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A computer based method of controlling the use of a wireless device comprising the steps of:
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creating in a database contained in a storage device a supervisory account, said supervisory account having a supervisory account identifier for identifying said supervisory account, said supervisory account configured to include a plurality of user account profiles, each of said user account profiles configured to include a wireless device identifier and at least one restriction pertaining to the use of the respective wireless device by a corresponding wireless device user, said supervisory account containing information including; a user account profile pertaining to said wireless device, said user account profile including a wireless device identifier for said wireless device and at least one restriction pertaining to the use of said wireless device, a cut-through code associated with said supervisory account, said cut-through code being useable by an administrator of said supervisory account to establish communication with said wireless device notwithstanding a restriction on the use of said wireless device within said user account profile for said wireless device that would preclude communication with said wireless device, at least some of said information in said user account profile, including said at least one restriction pertaining to the use of said wireless device, being protected by a password known to said administrator and modifiable by said administrator of said supervisory account; receiving at a server an indication of an intended communication from a communication device to said wireless device; determining at said server whether said intended communication violates a restriction governing the use of said wireless device stored in the user account profile for said wireless device; in the event said determining step indicates that the connection of said intended communication from said communication device to said wireless device would violate said at least one restriction on the use of said wireless device, permitting the communication between said communication device and said wireless device in the event an input value corresponding to said cut-through code is input at said communication device and communicated to said server; and in the event said determining step indicates that the connection of said intended communication from said communication device to said wireless device would violate said at least one restriction on the use of said wireless device, preventing the communication between said communication device and said wireless device in the event an input value corresponding to said cut-through code is not input at said communication device and communicated to said server. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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Specification