Systems and methods to provide access control via mobile phones

• US 8,478,734 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Niejadlik, Martine
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/478,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20120330823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 707/709, 707/629, 707/725, 707/736, 707/791, 707/794, 715/719, 715/732, 715/735, 715/738, 715/848, 711/102, 711/725, 711/736, 711/791, 726/1, 726/6, 726/28, 725/39, 725/42
• US Class Current: 707/709
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to allow parental control via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes a data storage facility to store data associating a phone number with information indicative of an age of a user of the phone number; and an interchange coupled with the data storage facility. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers. The converters are configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats and to communicate with the common format processor in a common format. The common format processor is to use one converter of the converters to communicate with a telephonic apparatus at the phone number to obtain parental consent, in response to a request from a third party website, such as a social networking website.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, a request from a third party website for parental consent, the request including an identification of an underage user;

identifying, by the computing device, a contact identifier of a parent based on the identification of the underage user;

transmitting, by the computing device, to a parent apparatus having the contact identifier to obtain an indication of parental consent;

receiving, at the computing device, an indication of parental consent following the transmission to the parent apparatus; and

providing, by the computing device, a notification to the website as a response to the request for parental consent, in response to the indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party website is a social networking website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parent apparatus is a telephonic apparatus and the transmission to the telephonic apparatus comprises:

transmitting a message to the telephonic apparatus via a short message service (SMS), the message to identify an activity that requires parental consent.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reception from the telephonic apparatus comprises:

receiving, from the telephonic apparatus via a short message service (SMS), a message containing the indication of parental consent.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the third party website is a social networking website;

and the message includes a code to allow a user of the telephonic apparatus to provide the code back to the social networking website to provide parental consent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party website is a social networking website the parent apparatus is a telephonic apparatus and the transmission to the telephonic apparatus comprises:

transmitting a code to the telephonic apparatus via a short message service (SMS) to allow a user of the telephonic apparatus to access a parental control section of an account hosted on the social networking website.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, whether a user at the contact identifier is eligible to provide parental consent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computing device is to conclude that the user at the contact identifier is eligible to provide parental consent based on an association of the contact identifier with a valid credit card number.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the computing device is to conclude that the user at the contact identifier is eligible to provide parental consent based on an age of the user that has been previously verified.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party website is a social networking website;

and the request for parental consent is received in response to a user accessing the social networking website; and

the identifying comprises presenting a web page to the user to request the contact identifier for parental consent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact identifier is a phone number.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact identifier comprises a first contact identifier;

the request comprises a second contact identifier; and

the identifying comprises looking up the first contact identifier from a data storage facility storing data associating the second contact identifier with the first contact identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data storage facility further stores data indicating ages of users of the first contact identifier and the second contact identifier.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party website is a social networking website;

and the request for parental consent is received in response to a user accessing the social networking website; and

the contact identifier is determined based at least in part on the identification of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification comprises at least one of:

a name of the user and online contact information of the user.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying a parental relationship between a user at the contact identifier and the user accessing the social networking website by one of;

matching the identification with stored data and using information from a mobile phone carrier.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party website is a social networking website;

and the request for parental consent is received in response to a user accessing the social networking website; and

the method further comprises;

making a payment on behalf of the user using funds associated with the contact identifier.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting one or more premium messages to the telephonic apparatus at the contact identifier to collect the funds.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one parental control tool to manage transactions requested by a user at the contact identifier.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, a request from a third party website for parental consent, the request including an identification of an underage user;

identifying, by the computing device, a contact identifier of a parent based on the identification of the underage user;

transmitting, by the computing device, to a parent apparatus having the contact identifier to obtain an indication of parental consent;

receiving, at the computing device, an indication of parental consent following the transmission to the parent apparatus; and

providing, by the computing device, a notification to the website as a response to the request for parental consent, in response to the indication.