Handset based dynamic parental controls

• US 7,869,792 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhou, Tong, Mohan, David, Zhang, Baoquan
• Primary Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US11/717,758
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• 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 3/42153 by subscriber
• 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 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A parent mobile station is provided that enables real-time parental control over communications with an associated child mobile station. The parent mobile station receives notification of attempted inbound and outbound calls with third parties to and from the child mobile station, or of requests from the child mobile station to retrieve content from a content provider. In response to the notifications, the parent mobile station determines whether or not to permit the inbound and outbound calls or the retrieval of content. If permitted, communications with the child mobile station are routed through the parent mobile station, which itself communicates over a wireless telecommunications network. If not permitted, the parent mobile station does not relay such communications. The child mobile station preferably communicates with the parent mobile station using a wireless local area network (WLAN) or Bluetooth protocol and is preferably incapable of defeating the parental controls with a direct connection to the wireless telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A system comprising a parent mobile station, wherein the parent mobile station comprises:

wireless communication circuitry capable of communicating (i) with a third party over a wireless telecommunications network and (ii) with an associated child mobile station;

a display;

authority control logic operative (i) to detect a request by the associated child mobile station to establish voice communications with a third party, the request including a telephone number; and

(ii) to determine whether to permit or deny the voice communications with the third party; and

voice communication logic operative, in response to a determination by the authority control logic to permit the voice communications, to relay the permitted voice communications between the third party and the child mobile station through the wireless communication circuitry the system further comprising the associated child mobile station, the child mobile station comprising (a) a keypad, (b) a microphone, (c) a speaker, and (d) child wireless communication circuitry capable of communicating with the parent mobile station,

the child mobile station being operable, in response to a keypad input, to send to the parent mobile station the request to establish voice communications with the third party, the request including the telephone number of the third party, and

the child mobile station further being operable to enable a voice connection between a user of the child mobile station and the third party, using the microphone and speaker as transducers, the voice connection being relayed through the parent mobile station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the child mobile station is a Part 15 device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the child wireless communication circuitry is not capable of transmitting radio signals at greater than one Watt equivalent isotropically radiated power.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the child mobile station is not capable of direct communications with a base transceiver station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the child mobile station and the parent mobile station are operative to communicate with one another using a Bluetooth protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the child mobile station and the parent mobile station are operative to communicate with one another using a wireless LAN protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the authority control logic is operative, in response to the request by the child mobile station to establish voice communications with the third party, (i) to cause a notification identifying the third party to be displayed on the display, wherein the notification includes a request for a user input;

and (ii) to make the determination of whether to permit or deny the voice communications with the third party based on the user input.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the parent mobile station includes contacts data associating names and telephone numbers, and wherein the notification identifying the third party includes a name of the third party.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the parent mobile station further comprises (a) a parent mobile station keypad, (b) a parent mobile station microphone, and cc) a parent mobile station speaker,

the parent mobile station further being operable, using the parent mobile station microphone and parent mobile station speaker as transducers, to enable a voice connection between a user of the parent mobile station and the third party.

10. A system comprising a parent mobile station, wherein the parent mobile station comprises:

wireless communication circuitry capable of communicating (i) with a third party over a wireless telecommunications network and (ii) with an associated child mobile station;

a display;

authority control logic operative (i) to detect a request by the associated child mobile station to establish voice communications with a third party, the request including a telephone number; and

(ii) to determine whether to permit or deny the voice communications with the third party; and

voice communication logic operative, in response to a determination by the authority control logic to permit the voice communications, to relay the permitted voice communications between the third party and the child mobile station through the wireless communication circuitry,

wherein the parent mobile station further comprises (a) a parent keypad, (b) a parent microphone, and (c) a parent speaker, the parent mobile station further being operable, in response to a keypad input, using the microphone and speaker as transducers, to enable a voice connection between a user of the parent mobile station and the third party; and

wherein the system further comprises the associated child mobile station, the child mobile station comprising (a) a child keypad, (b) a child microphone (c) a child speaker, and (d) child wireless communication circuitry capable of communicating with the parent mobile station the child mobile station being operable, in response to a keypad input, to send to the parent mobile station the request to establish voice communications with the third party, the request including the telephone number of the third party,

wherein the system is operable, in response to a determination by the authority control logic to permit the voice communications, to enable a voice connection between a user of the child mobile station and the third party, using the microphone and speaker as transducers, the voice connection being routed through the parent mobile station.

11. A system comprising a parent mobile station, wherein the parent mobile station comprises:

wireless communication circuitry capable of communicating (i) with a content provider over a wireless telecommunications network and (ii) with an associated child mobile station;

a display;

authority control logic operative (i) to detect a request by the associated child mobile station to retrieve content from the content provider;

(ii) to cause the requested content to be retrieved by the parent mobile station;

(iii) to cause the requested content to be displayed on the parent mobile station;

(iv) to cause a request for user input regarding the requested content to be displayed on the parent mobile station; and

(v) based on the user input, to (a) cause the wireless communication circuitry to send the content to the child mobile station, or to (b) prevent the content from being sent to the child mobile station.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the associated child mobile station, the child mobile station comprising:

a display;

child wireless communication circuitry capable of communicating with the parent mobile station;

the child mobile station being operable, in response to user input, to send to the parent mobile station the request to retrieve content from the content provider;

the child mobile station further being operable to display the content if the content is sent to the child mobile station by the parent mobile station.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the child mobile station and the parent mobile station are operable to communicate with one another through a protocol selected from the group consisting of a wireless local area network protocol and a wireless personal area network protocol; and

wherein the child mobile station is not operable to communicate using a wireless telecommunication protocol.

14. A method of operating a parent mobile station, wherein the parent mobile station is associated with at least one child mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless telecommunications network, a plurality of signals identifying inbound calls;

for at least a first one of the inbound calls, determining that the first inbound call is destined for the parent mobile station, and thereafter enabling the parent mobile station to connect with the first inbound call;

for at least a second one of the inbound calls, determining that the second inbound call is destined for the child mobile station, determining that the child mobile station is permitted to receive the second inbound call, and thereafter relaying voice communications between the child mobile station and the wireless telecommunications network, through the parent mobile station, to connect the second inbound call with the child mobile station; and

for at least a third one of the inbound calls, determining that the third inbound call is destined for the child mobile station, and determining that the child mobile station is not permitted to receive the third inbound call.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, after determining that the child mobile station is not permitted to receive the third inbound call, canceling the third inbound call.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, after determining that the child mobile station is not permitted to receive the third inbound call, enabling the parent mobile station to connect with the third inbound call.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein determining that the child mobile station is permitted to receive the second inbound call includes displaying, on the parent mobile station, information about the second inbound call, and thereafter identifying a user response, the user response being selected from the group consisting of (i) taking action to permit the call and (ii) not taking action to cancel the call.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein determining that the child mobile station is not permitted to receive the third inbound call includes displaying, on the parent mobile station, information about the third inbound call, and thereafter identifying a user response, the user response being selected from the group consisting of (i) taking action to cancel the call and (ii) not taking action to permit the call.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the child mobile station, a plurality of requests to make outbound calls, at least some of those requests including a telephone number;

for at least a first one of the requests including a first telephone number, determining that the child mobile station is permitted to make a first outbound call, and thereafter routing voice communications between the child mobile station and a third party at the first telephone number; and

for at least a second one of the requests including a second telephone number, determining that the child mobile station is not permitted to make a second outbound call.