Device centric controls for a device controlled through a web portal

• US 8,086,678 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zipit Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zipit Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Heredia, Rafael, Greer, Frank U. IV, Crowe, Michael Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi N
• Application Number:
  US12/236,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 707/705, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

A system controls computer network communication devices in a background session in accordance with a control database. The system includes a computer network communication device having a non-volatile memory containing a unique device identifier and a communication module for communicating with a control site, the communication module being configured to generate monitor messages containing the unique device identifier and data corresponding to entry of a command by a user and to parse command messages received from the control site, and a control site comprising a device database and a control database, the control site being configured to compare data in the monitor message to control data stored in the control database in response to the monitor message having a unique device identifier that is also stored in the device database.

Claims

1. A system for controlling computer network communication devices that communicate over a computer network comprising:

a computer network communication device having a non-volatile memory containing a unique device identifier;

a controller operatively connected to a memory in which programmed instructions are stored within the computer network communication device, the controller being configured to execute the programmed instructions to implement a communication module that generates a data message for use with a service provided by an Internet Service Provider in response to a command entered by a user, to generate a monitor message containing the unique device identifier and data corresponding to the command entered by the user, and to parse command messages received by the computer network communication device; and

a control site comprising a server operatively connected to a device database and a control database, the server being configured to compare data in the monitor message received from the communication module in the computer network communications device to control data stored in the control database in response to the monitor message received from the communication module in the computer network communications device having the unique device identifier that is also stored in the device database and to establish an administrative account for a device in response to the unique device identifier corresponding to a device identifier stored in the device database.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer network communication device is an instant messaging device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the communication module of the instant messaging device is further configured to detect buddy list selections, buddy list additions, and buddy list modifications and to generate monitor messages containing buddy list data.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the control database is further configured to store time usage limits, time of day limits, and buddy restrictions in association with a unique device identifier.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is further configured to compare data from monitor messages received from the communication module of the instant messaging device to the control data stored in the control database in association with the unique device identifier stored in the device database.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the communication module is further configured to communicate with the server in background of a communication session between the instant messaging device

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is further configured to generate control data and store control data in the control database in response to messages received by the server that correspond to the administrative account. and an instant messaging service.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the administrative account is a parental control account for an instant messaging terminal.