Parental control of access to information from a computer system

• US 8,437,771 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thomas E. Coverstone
• Inventors: Coverstone, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/338,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 4554561-457, 370/310.2, 370/328, 709/217, 709/225
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• 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

Abstract

A user of a wireless device logs onto the computer system via the wireless device, a land based telephone, a computer, or other communication means via the Internet, land based telephone lines, or other communication devices. The user identifies himself or herself by the logging on process and then communicates with the computer system by inputting certain information into computer screens. Parents will have certain controls available to them to either preselect what their children will have access to at a subsequent log on or will be able to prevent their children from having access to certain material. After the user logs on to the system, the user will be able to determine what communications he or she will receive.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a memory configured to store user selections; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to

identify a parent to the computer system by logging the parent onto the computer system,

receive certain information from the parent when the parent inputs the certain information into the computer system,

provide the parent with a control configured to select what a child of the parent will have access to from a cell phone,

receive from the parent a selection of what the child will have access to from the cell phone, wherein the control configured to select what the child of the parent will have access to from the cell phone comprises providing the parent with categories of interest to allow the child to receive messages via the cell phone from a business related to one or more of the categories of interest, and

control access of the child to information from the cell phone in accordance with the selection of the parent to prevent the child from having access to certain material,

wherein the processor is configured to provide the parent with a selection to allow the child to receive messages via the cell phone from the business when the cell phone is in proximity of an area of interest, and

wherein the processor is coupled to a cellular telephone system configured to log the parent onto the computer system when the parent operates another cell phone in the cellular telephone system.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the categories of interest to allow the child to receive messages from a business related to the selection when the cell phone is in proximity of an area of interest.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the parent with the categories of interest to allow the child to receive messages from a business related to a selected category of interest when the cell phone is in proximity of the business.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the proximity of the area of interest is a user-selectable distance that is determined by GPS.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to log on the parent to identify the parent to the computer system via communication with a cell phone operated by the parent.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to log on the parent to identify the parent to the computer system via the Internet, and the processor is configured to communicate with the parent by the parent inputting the certain information into at least one computer screen.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory and the processor are part of a server system that includes a web server, wherein the server system uses the web server to receive the selection from the parent via the another cell phone.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory and the processor are part of a server system that is in communication with the cell phone via the cellular telephone system and an Internet.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the cell phone is configured to receive the messages via Bluetooth communications from a location of the business.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the cell phone is configured to receive the messages via short-wave radio communications from a location of the business.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to track purchases made with the cell phone at the business.

12. A computer system, comprising:

a memory configured to store user selections; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the process is configured to

identify a parent to the computer system by logging the parent onto the computer system,

receive certain information from the parent when the parent inputs the certain information into the computer system,

provide the parent with a control configured to select what a child of the parent will have access to from a cell phone,

receive from the parent a selection of what the child will have access to from the cell phone, wherein the control configured to select what a child of the parent will have access to from the cell phone comprises receiving from the parent a selection of a certain business to allow the child to receive messages via the cell phone from the certain business, and

control access of the child to information from the cell phone in accordance with the selection of the parent to prevent the child from having access to certain material,

wherein the processor is configured to provide the parent with a selection to allow the child to receive messages vie the cell phone from the certain business when the cell phone is in proximity of the certain business, and

wherein the processor is coupled to a cellular telephone system configured to log the parent onto the computer system when the parent operates another cell phone in the cellular telephone system.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the proximity of the certain business is a user-selectable distance that is determine by GPS.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to log on the parent to identify the parent to the computer system via communication with another cell phone operated by the parent.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to log on the parent to identify the parent to the computer system via the Internet, and the processor is configured to communicate with the parent by the parent inputting the certain information into at least one computer screen.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is coupled to a cellular telephone system for logging the parent onto the computer system when the parent operates the cell phone in the cellular telephone system.

17. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the memory and the processor are part of a server system that includes a web server, wherein the server system uses the web server to receive the selection from the parent via the another cell phone.

18. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the memory and the processor are part of a server system that is in communication with the cell phone via the cellular telephone system and an Internet.

19. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the cell phone is configured to receive the messages via Bluetooth communications from a location of the certain business.

20. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to track purchases made with the cell phone at the certain business.