Systems and methods for diverting children from restricted computing activities

• US 8,443,436 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Sankruthi, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu Ha
• Application Number:
  US12/603,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709224-225, 703/11, 715/207, 434/350, 726 26- 28
• US Class Current: 726/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for diverting children from restricted computing activities. The method may include maintaining a list of safe computing activities, maintaining a list of restricted computing activities, and detecting a child'"'"'s attempt to perform a restricted computing activity identified in the list of restricted computing activities. The method may also include selecting a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities. The method may further include, in response to the child'"'"'s attempt to perform the restricted computing activity, blocking the restricted computing activity and initializing the safe computing activity selected from the list of safe computing activities. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for diverting children from restricted computing activities, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

maintaining a list of safe computing activities that are associated with one or more interests of a child;

maintaining a list of restricted computing activities;

detecting an attempt by the child to perform a restricted computing activity identified in the list of restricted computing activities;

in response to detecting the attempt to perform the restricted computing activity, selecting a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities;

blocking the restricted computing activity;

in response to detecting the attempt to perform the restricted computing activity and after selecting the safe computing activity, initializing the safe computing activity for the child such that attention of the child is diverted from the restricted computing activity to the safe computing activity.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the list of restricted computing activities comprises a list of one or more restricted websites;

detecting the child'"'"'s attempt to perform the restricted computing activity comprises detecting an attempt to direct a web browser to a restricted website identified in the list of restricted websites.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein:

the list of safe computing activities comprises a list of safe websites;

selecting a safe computing activity comprises selecting a safe website from the list of safe websites;

initializing the safe computing activity comprises redirecting the web browser to the safe website.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the list of safe computing activities comprises:

monitoring computing activities of the child;

adding one or more computing activities performed by the child to the list of safe computing activities.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the list of safe computing activities comprises:

identifying one or more computing activities that are most frequently performed by the child;

adding the one or more computing activities that are most frequently performed by the child to the list of safe computing activities.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the list of safe computing activities comprises:

identifying an interest of the child by monitoring computing activities of the child;

identifying a computing activity that is associated with the interest of the child;

adding the computing activity associated with the interest of the child to the list of safe computing activities.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the list of safe computing activities comprises:

receiving, via user interface, information identifying an interest of the child;

selecting a computing activity associated with the interest of the child;

adding the computing activity associated with the interest of the child to the list of safe computing activities.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the list of safe computing activities comprises:

receiving, via a user interface, information identifying a computing activity to be added to the list of safe computing activities;

adding the computing activity identified via the user interface to the list of safe computing activities.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

selecting a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities comprises selecting a random computing activity from the list of safe computing activities.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

selecting a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities comprises selecting a computing activity that has not recently been selected to divert the child'"'"'s attention from a restricted computing activity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the list of safe computing activities comprises a URL identifying a safe website.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the list of safe computing activities identifies at least one of:

a computer game;

a media file;

a recommendation of a safe computing activity for the child;

educational information.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification that provides the child with a reason that the restricted computing activity is being blocked.

14. A system for diverting children from restricted computing activities, the system comprising:

a storage module programmed to;

maintain a list of safe computing activities that are associated with one or more interests of a child;

maintain a list of restricted computing activities;

a detection module programmed to detect an attempt by the child to perform a restricted computing activity identified in the list of restricted computing activities;

a selection module programmed to, in response to detecting the attempt to perform the restricted computing activity, select a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities;

a diversion module programmed to;

block the restricted computing activity;

in response to detecting the attempt to perform the restricted computing activity and after selecting the safe computing activity, initialize the safe computing activity for the child such that attention of the child is diverted from the restricted computing activity to the safe computing activity;

at least one processor programmed to execute the storage module, the detection module, the selection module, and the diversion module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the list of restricted computing activities comprises a list of one or more restricted websites;

the detection module is programmed to detect the child'"'"'s attempt to perform the restricted computing activity by detecting an attempt to direct a web browser to a restricted website identified in the list of restricted websites.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the list of safe computing activities comprises a list of safe websites;

the selection module is programmed to select a safe computing activity by selecting a safe website from the list of safe websites;

the diversion module is programmed to initialize the safe computing activity by redirecting the web browser to the safe website.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the storage module is programmed to maintain the list of safe computing activities by:

monitoring computing activities of the child;

adding one or more computing activities performed by the child to the list of safe computing activities.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the storage module is programmed to maintain the list of safe computing activities by:

identifying an interest of the child;

identifying a computing activity that is associated with the interest of the child;

adding the computing activity associated with the interest of the child to the list of safe computing activities.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the list of safe computing activities identifies at least one of:

a computer game;

a media file;

a recommendation of a safe computing activity for the child;

educational information.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

maintain a list of safe computing activities that are associated with one or more interests of a child;

maintain a list of restricted computing activities;

detect an attempt by the child to perform a restricted computing activity identified in the list of restricted computing activities;

in response to detecting the attempt to perform the restricted computing activity, select a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities;

block the restricted computing activity;

in response to detecting the attempt to perform the restricted computing activity and after selecting the safe computing activity, initialize the safe computing activity for the child such that attention of the child is diverted from the restricted computing activity to the safe computing activity.