Communication device employment of one or more restrictions to make determination of allowability of one or more communication sessions

• US 8,000,695 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Martin, Ronald Bruce, Joglekar, Mrinal Milind, Hunter, Karla Rae, Halsell, Victoria Marie, Florkey, Cynthia Kae
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US10/609,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,969 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 340/539.15
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/886 limit per terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/887 limit per user or user related number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6081 Service authorization mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0136 Limit per terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/014 Limit per user or user related number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• 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

Abstract

A first communication device of an apparatus in one example shares a billing relationship with a second communication. The second communication device comprises a primary communication device, where a user associated with the second communication device comprises a primary user associated with the primary communication device. The primary user associated with the primary communication device sets one or more restrictions for the first communication device. The first communication device employs one or more of the one or more restrictions to make a determination of allowability of one or more communication sessions.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first communication device that shares a billing relationship with a second communication device; and

an application server configured to receive one or more notifications that comprise one or more of a voice message and an instant message sent from the first communication device and to send the one or more notifications to the second communication device, at least one of the one or more notifications being employed by a user associated with the second communication device to monitor one or more communication sessions of the first communication device upon establishment of the one or more communication sessions;

wherein the second communication device comprises a primary communication device, and wherein the user associated with the second communication device comprises a primary user associated with the primary communication device; and

wherein the primary user associated with the primary communication device sets one or more restrictions for the first communication device; and

wherein the first communication device is configured to employ one or more of the one or more restrictions stored in an internal database of the first communication device to make a determination of allowability of the one or more communication sessions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user associated with the second communication device sets the one or more restrictions at the application server component;

and

wherein upon receipt of the one or more restrictions, the first communication device downloads the one or more restrictions from the application server component.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user associated with the second communication device sets the one or more restrictions at a website associated with the application server component.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second communication device sends an update of the one or more restrictions to the application server component;

and

wherein upon receipt of the update of the one or more restrictions, the first communication device downloads the update of the one or more restrictions from the application server component.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication sessions comprise an incoming call from a third communication device;

and

wherein the first communication device employs the one or more of the one or more restrictions to make the determination of allowability of the incoming call.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first communication device allows the incoming call, a control component connects the first communication device to the incoming call of the third communication device;

and

wherein the first communication device sends one or more notifications of the incoming call to the second communication device.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first communication device rejects the incoming call;

and

wherein the first communication device sends one or more notifications of the incoming call to the second communication device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user of the first communication device is unaware of the incoming call.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication sessions comprise an outgoing call to a third communication device;

and

wherein the first communication device employs the one or more of the one or more restrictions to make the determination of allowability of the outgoing call.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first communication device allows the outgoing call, a control component connects the first communication device to the outgoing call of the third communication device;

and

wherein the first communication device sends one or more notifications of the outgoing call to the second communication device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first communication device rejects the outgoing call;

and

wherein the first communication device sends one or more notifications of the outgoing call to the second communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device shares the billing relationship with the second communication device;

and

wherein the billing relationship comprises a shared mobile group plan.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device makes the determination of allowability when a user associated with the first communication device enters a phone number.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more restrictions are based on one or more of an email address, an instant message handle address, and a short message service address.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device employs the one or more of the one or more restrictions to make the determination of allowability of instant message usage.

24. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein another one of the one or more notifications comprises a SMS message.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the one or more notifications further comprises an email message.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more restrictions further comprise one or more of a time of day, length of the communication session, minute proportioning, a phone number.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device or the second communication device is a soft phone.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device or the second communication device is a computer.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device or the second communication device is a mobile phone.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication device stores received updates of the one or more restrictions in the internal database.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more communication sessions is a data session.

32. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a control component alerts a media resource component to send an announcement of the rejection to the third communication device.

33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second communication device sends one or more notifications to an application server component, and upon receipt of the one or more notifications, the application server component sends the one or more notifications to the first communication device.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application server comprises one of a biological and an atomic data storage medium.

13. A method, comprising the steps of:

setting one or more restrictions at an application server for a first communication device by a user associated with a second communication device, wherein the first communication device shares a billing relationship with the second communication device;

receiving, at the application server, one or more notifications that comprise one or more of a voice message and an instant message sent from the first communication device to the second communication device; and

sending the one or more notifications from the application server to the second communication device, at least one of the one or more notifications being employed by the user associated with the second communication device to monitor one or more communication sessions of the first communication device upon establishment of the one or more communication sessions;

wherein the first communication device is configured to employ one or more of the one or more restrictions received and stored in an internal database of the first communication device to make a determination of allowability of one or more communication sessions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of setting the one or more restrictions at the application server for the first communication device further comprises the steps of:

receiving at the first communication device the one or more restrictions set by the user associated with the second communication at the application server component, wherein the user associated with the second communication device sets the one or more restrictions at a website associated with the application server component.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more communication sessions comprise an incoming call from a third communication device, and wherein the incoming call comprises session information, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

comparing the session information of the incoming call with the one or more of the one or more restrictions at the first communication device;

allowing the incoming call at the first communication device;

enabling a connection with the third communication device on the incoming call; and

sending a notification of the incoming call to the second communication device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more communication sessions comprise an incoming call from a third communication device, and wherein the incoming call comprises session information, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

comparing the session information of the incoming call with the one or more of the one or more restrictions at the first communication device;

rejecting the incoming call at the first communication device; and

sending a notification of the incoming call to the second communication device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more communication sessions comprise an outgoing call to a third communication device, and wherein the outgoing call comprises session information, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

comparing the session information of the outgoing call with the one or more of the one or more restrictions at the first communication device;

allowing at the first communication device the outgoing call;

enabling a connection with the third communication device on the outgoing call; and

sending a notification of the outgoing call to the second communication device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more communication sessions comprise an outgoing call to a third communication device, and wherein the outgoing call comprises session information, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

comparing the session information of the outgoing call with the one or more of the one or more restrictions at the first communication device;

rejecting at the first communication device the outgoing call; and

sending a notification of the outgoing call to the second communication device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:

means in the computer-readable medium for setting one or more restrictions at an application sever for a first communication device by a user associated with a second communication device, wherein the first communication device shares a billing relationship with the second communication device;

means in the computer-readable medium for receiving, at the application server, one or more notifications that comprise one or more of a voice message and an instant message sent from the first communication device to the second communication device; and

means in the computer-readable medium for sending the one or more notifications from the application server to the second communication device, at least one of the one or more notifications being employed by the user associated with the second communication device to monitor one or more communication sessions of the first communication device upon establishment of the one or more communication;

wherein the first communication device is configured to employ one or more of the one or more restrictions received and stored in an internal database of the first communication device to make a determination of allowability of one or more communication sessions.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the means in the computer-readable medium for setting one or more restrictions at an application server for the first communication device comprise:

means in the computer-readable medium for receiving at the first communication device the one or more restrictions set by the user associated with the second communication at an application server component, wherein the user associated with the second communication device sets the one or more restrictions at a website associated with the application server component.