Methods and apparatus for providing restrictions on long distance calls from a wireless communication device

• US 7,953,450 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pearce, Graham N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches; Randy
• Application Number:
  US12/212,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/565, 455/550.1, 455418-420, 455/415, 379/200, 379/199, 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/210.02
• US Class Current: 455/565
• 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 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing restrictions on long distance calls from wireless communication devices. The wireless devices are preferably combined voice and data communication devices. In one illustrative example, each wireless device receives and stores long distance call restriction information which is pushed from a private computer network through the wireless network. During typical operation, a wireless device determines whether call attempts from the wireless device are restricted by the long distance call restriction information. If a call attempt is restricted by the long distance call restriction information, the wireless device restricts the call attempt from the wireless device and provides for a call restriction alert indication (e.g. an alert tone or visual text). If a call attempt is not restricted by the long distance call restriction information, the wireless device allows the call attempt from the wireless device. Advantageously, control over long distance calls may be established on a per-user basis in the private home network.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication device for use in providing restrictions on long distance calls attempted from the wireless communication device via a cellular telecommunications network, the method comprising the acts of:

causing data synchronization to be regularly performed, over a wireless link of the cellular telecommunications network, for user data items of a personal information manager application of the wireless device and corresponding user data items stored in association with a host enterprise server, the host enterprise server being connected in a private communication network which is not part of any cellular telecommunications network within which the wireless device is configured to operate;

receiving, over a wireless link of the cellular telecommunications network, long distance call restriction information from the host enterprise server in the private communication network, the long distance call restriction information being indicative of one or more country codes or area codes;

storing the long distance call restriction information received from the host enterprise server;

determining whether a call attempt from the wireless device is restricted by comparing a country code or area code of a telephone number of the call attempt with the one or more country codes or area codes of the long distance call restriction information;

if the call attempt is determined to be restricted based on the comparing, prohibit the call attempt from the wireless device over the cellular telecommunications network; and

if the call attempt is determined to not be restricted based on the comparing, allowing the call attempt from the wireless device for establishing a call via the cellular telecommunications network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a tunnel connection via the cellular telecommunications network through which the long distance call restriction information is pushed to the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is associated with a user profile, stored at the host enterprise server, which includes the long distance call restriction information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is associated with a user profile stored at the host enterprise server, the method further comprising:

configuring, for the host enterprise server, the user profile of the wireless device with the long distance call restriction information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acts of the method are performed for each one of a plurality of wireless communication devices associated with a plurality of user profiles stored at the host enterprise server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data items of the personal information manager application comprise at least one of e-mail message data items and calendar event data items.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device has a plurality of country codes or area codes stored in a look-up table in memory, and the long distance call restriction information comprises a plurality of bits, each bit indicating whether a corresponding country code or area code stored in the look-up table is allowable or disallowable.

8. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a radio modem which is configured to provide communications via a cellular telecommunications network;

memory;

a user interface which is configured to receive a telephone call attempt from the wireless device;

a controller coupled to the radio modem, the memory, and the user interface, the controller being configured to;

cause data synchronization to be regularly performed, via the cellular telecommunications network with use of the radio modem, for user data items of a personal information manager application of the wireless device and corresponding user data items stored in association with a host enterprise server, the host enterprise server being connected in a private communication network which is not part of any cellular telecommunications network within which the wireless device is configured to operate;

receive, over the cellular telecommunications network with use of the radio modem, long distance call restriction information from the host enterprise server of the private communication network, the long distance call restriction information being indicative of one or more country codes or area codes;

store the long distance call restriction information in the memory;

determine whether the call attempt is restricted by comparing a country code or area code of a telephone number of the call attempt with the one or more country codes or area codes of the long distance call restriction information;

if the controller determines that the call attempt is restricted by the long distance call restriction information based on the comparing, prohibit the call attempt from the wireless device via the cellular telecommunications network; and

if the controller determines that the call attempt is not restricted by the long distance call restriction information based on the comparing, allow the call attempt from the wireless device for establishing a call via the cellular telecommunications network.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to establish a tunnel connection via the cellular telecommunications network through which the long distance call restriction information is pushed to the wireless device.

10. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the wireless device has a plurality of country codes or area codes stored in a look-up table in the memory, and the long distance call restriction information comprises a plurality of bits, each bit indicating whether a corresponding country code or area code stored in the look-up table is allowable or disallowable.

11. The wireless device of claim 8, being associated with a user profile which is stored at the host enterprise server and includes the long distance call restriction information.

12. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the user data items of the personal information manager application comprise at least one of e-mail message data items and calendar event data items.

13. A host enterprise server configured for connecting in a private computer network of an enterprise which is associated with a plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the private computer network is not part of any cellular telecommunications network within which the plurality of wireless communication devices are configured to operate, the host enterprise server comprising:

the host enterprise server being configured to regularly perform, for each one of the wireless devices via the cellular telecommunications network, data synchronization for user data items of a personal information manager application of the wireless device and corresponding user data items stored in association with the host enterprise server;

the host enterprise server being further configured to access memory which is configured to store a plurality of user profiles associated with the plurality of wireless devices, each user profile having user profile information which is unique to a wireless device thereof and including long distance call restriction information which is indicative of one or more country codes or area codes for restricting long distance telephone call attempts from the wireless device; and

the host enterprise server being further configured to cause, for each one of the wireless devices, the long distance call restriction information to be sent to the wireless device, via the cellular telecommunications network, for restricting the long distance telephone call attempts from the wireless device.

14. The host enterprise server of claim 13, wherein the user data items of the personal information manager application comprise at least one of e-mail message data items and calendar event data items.

15. The host enterprise server of claim 13, wherein the long distance call restriction information for each user profile is configurable by an administrator of the private computer network.

16. The host enterprise server of claim 13, wherein each wireless device has a plurality of country codes or area codes stored in a look-up table in memory, and the host enterprise server provides long distance call restriction information comprising a plurality of bits, each bit indicating whether a corresponding country code or area code stored in the look-up table is allowable or disallowable.

17. A communication system, comprising:

a host enterprise server which is configured to connect to a host computer network of an enterprise;

memory of the host enterprise server;

the memory for storing user profile information which is unique to a wireless communication device or a subscriber thereof in the enterprise;

the user profile information including long distance call restriction information which is indicative of one or more country codes or area codes;

the host enterprise server being configured to connect with the host computer network which is not part of any cellular telecommunication network within which the wireless device is configured to operate;

the host enterprise server being further configured to regularly perform data synchronization, over a wireless link of a cellular telecommunication network, for user data items of a personal information manager application of the wireless device and corresponding user data items stored in association with the host enterprise server;

the host enterprise server being further configured to cause the long distance call restriction information to be sent to the wireless device through the host computer network and the cellular telecommunications network;

the wireless device including;

a radio modem which is configured to receive the long distance call restriction information through the cellular telecommunications network;

memory which stores the long distance call restriction information;

a user interface which is configured to receive a telephone call attempt;

a controller which is configured to;

determine whether the call attempt is restricted by comparing a country code or area code of a telephone number of the call attempt with the one or more country codes or area codes of the long distance call restriction information;

if the call attempt is restricted based on the comparing, prohibit the call attempt from the wireless device over the cellular telecommunications network; and

if the call attempt is not restricted based on the comparing, allow the call attempt from the wireless device for establishing a call over the cellular telecommunications network.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the wireless device is further configured to establish a tunnel connection via the cellular telecommunications network through which the long distance call restriction information is pushed to the wireless device.

19. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the user data items of the personal information manager application comprise at least one of e-mail message data items and calendar event data items.

20. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the wireless device has a plurality of country codes or area codes stored in a look-up table in memory, and the host enterprise server provides long distance call restriction information comprising a plurality of bits, each bit indicating whether a corresponding country code or area code stored in the look-up table is allowable or disallowable.