Phone line supervisory controls

• US 7,440,562 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Stephen Vaughan, Barnes, Michaela
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/847,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32.01, 379/32.04, 379/93.02, 379/161, 379/168, 379/184, 379/188, 379/194, 379/196, 379/197, 379/200, 379/201.01, 37920701-20704, 379/208.01, 379/210.02
• US Class Current: 379/208.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• 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 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• 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

Abstract

Controlling use of a telephone line includes receiving a specification from a first entity that defines one or more supervisory controls on use of a controlled telephone line by a second entity. The supervisory controls specify people with whom the second entity may or may not communicate over the controlled telephone line, and times at which the second entity may or may not communicate over the controlled telephone line. An indication of desired communications between the second entity and a third entity at a particular time over the controlled telephone line is received. A determination is made as to whether the desired communications are consistent with the specified supervisory controls. The desired communications are controlled when the desired communications are not consistent with the specified supervisory controls. In addition, the supervisory controls enable the first entity to interrupt existing calls over the controlled telephone line.

Claims

1. A method for controlling use of a telephone line, the method comprising:

receiving a specification from a first entity of one or more entities with whom communications over a controlled telephone line are controlled for a second entity;

receiving a call initiation request from a third entity over the controlled telephone line to the second entity;

in response to the call initiation request, determining if the third entity is one of the specified entities with whom communications over the controlled telephone line are controlled; and

controlling the communications between the second entity and the third entity conditioned on the third entity being determined to be one of the entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the specification from the first entity of entities with whom communications with the second entity are controlled comprises presenting for use by the first entity a graphical user interface capable of receiving, as input from the first entity, the specification of entities with whom communications over the controlled telephone line are controlled for the second entity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification from the first entity of one or more entities with whom communications over the controlled telephone line are controlled for the second entity comprises a specification of one or more entities with whom the second entity is allowed to communicate over the controlled telephone line.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification from the first entity of one or more entities with whom communications over a controlled telephone line are controlled for the second entity comprises a specification of one or more entities with whom the second entity is not allowed to communicate over the controlled telephone line.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an indication of desired communications between the second entity and the third entity over the controlled telephone line comprises receiving an indication from a telephone network over which the second entity and the third entity can communicate that a request for initiation of a call between the second entity and the third entity over the controlled telephone line has been received.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first entity is a user of an online service provider system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the specification of the entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity comprises a specification of users of the online service provider system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the specification of the users with whom communications are controlled for the second entity comprises a specification of users selected by the first entity from a list of contacts maintained by the first entity on the online service provider system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the list of contacts is an address book.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the list of contacts is a buddy list.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the list of contacts is a white list.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein determining if the third entity is one of the specified entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity comprises querying the online service provider system as to whether the third entity is one of the specified entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the third entity is one of the specified entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity comprises querying for the presence of the third entity in a database of entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second entity is a child and the first entity is a parent of the child.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the second entity is an employer and the first entity is an employee of the employer.

16. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising determining if time information specified by the first entity indicates that the desired communications are to be regulated, wherein:

controlling the communications between the second entity and the third entity comprises controlling the communications between the second entity and the third entity conditioned on the third entity being one of the entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity and conditioned on the time information indicating that the desired communications are to be regulated.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the time information indicates a predetermined amount of call time that the second entity is able to use the controlled telephone line during a window of time having a start time and an end time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling the communications between the second entity and the third entity comprises:

determining that the received call initiation request corresponds to a desired use of the controlled telephone line at a time subsequent to the start time and prior to the end time; and

enabling the second entity and the third entity to communicate over the controlled telephone line conditioned on an amount of call time that the controlled telephone line has been used by the second entity during the window of time being less than the predetermined amount of call time indicated by the time information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein enabling the second entity and the third entity to communicate over the controlled telephone line comprises enabling the second entity and the third entity to communicate over the controlled telephone line conditioned on the amount of call time that the controlled telephone line has been used by the second entity to communicate with other entities, including the third entity, during the window of time being less than the predetermined amount of call time indicated by the time information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein enabling the second entity and the third entity to communicate over the controlled telephone line comprises:

determining that the received call initiation request corresponds to a desired use of the controlled telephone line at a time subsequent to the start time and prior to the end time;

enabling the communications between the second entity and the third entity to continue conditioned on the total amount of call time that the controlled telephone line has been used by the second entity being less than the predetermined amount of call time; and

interrupting the communications between the second entity and the third entity upon the total amount of call time that the controlled telephone line has been used by the second entity exceeding the predetermined amount of time.

21. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising determining if time information specified by the first entity indicates that the desired communications are not to be regulated, wherein:

controlling the communications between the second entity and the third entity comprises controlling the communications between the second entity and the third entity conditioned on the third entity being one of the entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity and conditioned on the time information indicating that the desired communications are not to be regulated.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying the first entity when the third entity is one of the entities with whom communications are controlled for the second entity.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the first entity and the second entity are both users of the controlled telephone line.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a specification from a first entity of one or more entities comprises receiving, from a first user of an online service provider system, one or more user identifiers corresponding to other users of the online service provider system.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein determining if the third entity is one of the specified entities comprises determining whether a user identifier of the third entity is among the one or more user identifiers received from the first user.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein determining whether the user identifier of the third entity is among the one or more user identifiers received from the first user comprises comparing the user identifier of the third entity to the one or more user identifiers received from the first user.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein receiving a specification from a first entity of one or more entities with whom communications over a controlled telephone line are controlled comprises receiving, from the first entity, one or more user identifiers corresponding to users that are prohibited from communicating with the second entity over the controlled telephone line.

24. A method for controlling use of a telephone line, the method comprising:

receiving a specification from a first entity that defines time information used to regulate use of a controlled telephone line by a second entity, the time information including a specification of an amount of call time that the second entity is able to use the controlled telephone line during a window of time having a start time and an end time;

receiving an indication of desired communications between the second entity and a third entity over the controlled telephone line;

determining that the received indication corresponds to a desired use of the controlled telephone line at a time subsequent to the start time and prior to the end time;

enabling the second entity to use the controlled telephone line conditioned on an amount of call time that the second entity has used the controlled telephone line during the window of time being less than the specified amount of call time indicated by the time information; and

preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line conditioned on the amount of call time that the second entity has used the controlled telephone line during the window of time being equal to or greater than the specified amount of call time indicated by the time information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the amount of call time that the second entity is able to use the controlled telephone line is less than a total amount of time between the start time and the end time.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the window of time is predetermined.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the second entity is enabled to use the controlled telephone line and further comprising, interrupting the enabled use of the controlled telephone line by the second entity conditioned on the use by the second entity continuing beyond the end time.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein enabling the second entity to use the controlled telephone line comprises:

enabling communications between the second entity and the third entity to continue conditioned on the amount of call time that the controlled telephone line has been used by the second entity being less than the specified amount of call time indicated by the time information; and

interrupting the communications between the second entity and the third entity upon the total amount of call time that the controlled telephone line has been used by the second entity exceeding the specified amount of call time.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving the specification from the first entity that defines time information used to regulate use of the controlled telephone line by the second entity comprises presenting for use by the first entity a graphical user interface capable of receiving, as input from the first entity, the specification of the time information.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein:

receiving the specification of the time information further comprises receiving specification of times at which the second entity may not use the controlled telephone line.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving an indication of desired communications between the second entity and a third entity over the controlled telephone line comprises receiving a call initiation request to the second entity from the third entity over the controlled telephone line.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line comprises allowing a phone used by the third entity to generate the call initiation request to ring for the third entity.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line comprises enabling the third entity to leave a message for the second entity.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising sending the message to the second entity in an e-mail message.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line comprises allowing a phone used by the third entity to generate the call initiation request to ring busy for the third entity.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line comprises playing a message for the third entity indicating that the second entity is not permitted to use the controlled telephone line.

37. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving the indication of desired communications between the second entity and a third entity over the controlled telephone line comprises receiving a call initiation request from the second entity to the third entity over the controlled telephone line.

38. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving the specification that defines the time information used to regulate use of the controlled telephone line comprises receiving specification of the time information from an online service provider system used by the first entity.

39. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving the indication of desired communications between the second entity and a third entity over the controlled telephone line comprises receiving the indication from a telephone network that services the controlled telephone line.

40. The method of claim 24 wherein receiving specification of the time information used to regulate use of the controlled telephone line comprises querying for the presence of the time information in a database of time information.

41. The method of claim 24 further comprising notifying the second entity of an amount of call time remaining until use of the controlled telephone line by the second entity will be prevented.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein notifying the second entity of an amount of call time remaining comprises playing a message over the controlled telephone line indicating the amount of call time remaining.

43. The method of claim 24 further comprising notifying the second entity of an amount of time remaining until use of the controlled telephone line by the second entity is enabled.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein notifying the second entity of an amount of time remaining comprises sending a message indicating the amount of time remaining to the second entity.

45. The method of claim 24 wherein the second entity is a child and the first entity is a parent of the child.

46. The method of claim 24 wherein the second entity is an employer and the first entity is an employee of the employer.

47. The method of claim 24, the method further comprising determining if the third entity is an entity that has been specified by the first entity as an entity with whom communications over the controlled telephone line are controlled, wherein:

enabling the second entity to use the controlled telephone line comprises enabling the second entity to use the controlled telephone line conditioned on the amount of call time that the second entity has used the controlled telephone line during the window of time being less than the specified amount of call time and conditioned on the third entity not being an entity with whom communications over the controlled telephone are controlled; and

preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line comprises preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line conditioned on the amount of call time that the second entity has used the controlled telephone line during the window of time being equal to or greater than the specified amount of call time or conditioned on the third entity being an entity with whom communications over the controlled telephone are controlled.

48. The method of claim 24, the method further comprising determining if the third entity is an entity that has been specified by the first entity as an entity with whom communications over the controlled telephone line are not controlled, wherein:

enabling the second entity to use the controlled telephone line comprises enabling the second entity to use the controlled telephone line conditioned on the amount of call time that the second entity has used the controlled telephone line during the window of time being less than the specified amount of call time and conditioned on the third entity being an entity with whom communications over the controlled telephone are not controlled; and

preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line comprises preventing the second entity from using the controlled telephone line conditioned on the amount of call time that the second entity has used the controlled telephone line during the window of time being equal to or greater than the specified amount of call time or conditioned on the third entity not being an entity with whom communications over the controlled telephone are not controlled.

49. The method of claim 24 further comprising notifying the first entity when the specified time information indicates that requested use of the controlled telephone line is to be regulated.

50. The method of claim 24 wherein the first entity and the second entity are both users of the controlled telephone line.