Systems and methods for restricting the use and movement of telephony devices

• US 8,243,908 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi, Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US11/637,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.02, 379/200, 379/210.02, 455/567
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• 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 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for restricting the use and movement of telephone system devices are presented. The system includes an interface configured to allow telephone calls to a limited set of telephone numbers or area codes. The interface may be configured to detect a number during a call attempt and compare the number to a stored sequence list of allowed numbers. If the detected number matches one of the allowed numbers, the call attempt is allowed to continue. However, if the detected number does not match a number in the stored sequence list, the call attempt is blocked. The interface may also be configured to restrict the movement of a cellular telephone based on received location data, configured with a physical lock to prevent removal from a docking station, or configured to generate a locking signal inhibiting use of the telephone after it has been moved greater than the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. A system for restricting the use of a wireline telephony device with a wireless communications network, comprising:

an interface between the wireline telephony device and a docking station, the interface configured to

detect a dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wireline telephony device, the docking station coupled to a cellular telephone which places calls on the wireless communication network from the wireline telephony device based on the dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wireline telephony device,

determine whether the dialed sequence of numbers matches an allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface, and

if the dialed sequence of numbers does not match the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface, then prevent the wireline telephony device from communicating with the wireless communications network through the docking station by preventing transmission of the dialed sequence of numbers to the docking station and generate a telephone call to a predetermined telephone number to indicate that an attempt was made to dial an unauthorized sequence of numbers; and

at least one device connector configured to couple the wireline telephony device to the interface, wherein the interface converts the dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wireline telephony device into a digital command-compatible with the wireless communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises an interface controller configured to convey signaling to the wireline telephony device and receive signaling from the wireline telephony device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface comprises a DTMF decoder, wherein the DTMF decoder is configured to detect the dialed sequence and wherein the DTMF decoder is further configured to generate a DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the docking station is configured to convey the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence generated by the DTMF decoder.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the interface controller further comprises a processor, wherein the processor is configured:

to receive the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence from the DTMF decoder;

to compare the sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface controller; and

to transmit the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the docking station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor transmits the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the docking station if the dialed sequence matches a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the cellular telephone is configured to receive the DTMF-dialing signal from the docking station.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor does not transmit the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence to the docking station if the dialed sequence does not match a stored sequence in the stored sequence list.

9. A method for restricting the use of a wireline telephony device with a wireless communications network, comprising:

detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wire line telephony device;

determining whether the dialed sequence of numbers matches an allowed sequence of numbers stored in an interface; and

if the dialed sequence of numbers does not match the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface, then

preventing the wireline telephony device from communicating with a docking station coupled to a cellular telephone by preventing transmission of the dialed sequence of numbers to the docking station, the cellular telephone for communicating messages from the wireline telephony device over the wireless communications network, wherein the interface converts the dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wireline telephony device into a digital command compatible with the wireless communications network, and

generating a telephone call to a predetermined telephone number to indicate that an attempt was made to dial an unauthorized sequence of numbers.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into a wire line telephony device comprises detecting a DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein preventing the wireline telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in an interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence does not match a sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then preventing the transmission of the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising enabling the wireline telephony device to communicate with the wireless communications network when the dialed sequence matches the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface, wherein access to the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface is restricted to a predetermined time period within at least one day of a week.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein preventing the wireline telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence matches the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence matches the sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then transmitting the DTMF -dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the dialed sequence comprises a telephone number.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for restricting the use of a wire line telephony device with a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wire line telephony device;

determining whether the dialed sequence of numbers matches an allowed sequence of numbers stored in an interface; and

if the dialed sequence of numbers does not match the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface, then

preventing the wireline telephony device from communicating with a docking station coupled to a cellular telephone by preventing transmission of the dialed sequence of numbers to the docking station, the cellular telephone for communicating messages from the wireline telephony device over the wireless communications network, wherein the interface converts the dialed sequence of numbers entered into the wireline telephony device into a digital command compatible with the wireless communications network, and

generating a telephone call to a predetermined telephone number to indicate that an attempt was made to dial an unauthorized sequence of numbers.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein detecting a dialed sequence of numbers entered into a wireline telephony device comprises detecting a DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising enabling the wireline telephony device to communicate with the wireless communications network when the dialed sequence matches the allowed sequence of numbers stored in the interface.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein preventing the wireline telephony device from communicating with the communications network when the dialed sequence does not match an allowed sequence of numbers stored in an interface comprises:

comparing the dialed sequence to a stored sequence list in the interface, the stored sequence list comprising the allowed sequence of numbers; and

if the dialed sequence does not match a sequence of numbers in the sequence list, then preventing the transmission of the DTMF-dialing signal indicative of the dialed sequence.