Method for provisioning a terminal device in a multi-user setting

• US 8,498,393 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward, Pearson, Larry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/533,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 379/156, 379/165, 379/167.01, 379/171, 379/177, 379/185, 379/188, 379/198, 379/201.02, 379/207.16, 379/419, 455/556.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 379/177
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP

Abstract

A method for provisioning a terminal device in a multi-user setting is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a terminal device having a provisioning element that selectively establishes a telephony usage profile for each of a plurality of users sharing the terminal device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A multimedia terminal device, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a provisioning element including a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising;

selectively establishing a multimedia telephony usage profile for each of a plurality of users sharing the terminal device; and

enabling validations of network connections to a service provider'"'"'s communication system, wherein

the telephony usage profile of each user comprises settings selected from a group of telephony features,

the telephony usage profile of each user determines operations of the terminal device with respect to that user,

a select one of the plurality of users of the terminal device is an administrator and each remaining user in the plurality of users is a limited user,

the administrator establishes an administrative setting in the telephony usage profile of each of the plurality of users,

each limited user is prevented from modifying the administrative setting, and

each limited user establishes a user preference setting in the telephony usage profile of that limited user,

wherein the terminal device operates in a communication network of the service provider, the service provider providing the telephony features to the communication network,

and wherein a validation of a network connection with respect to a user comprises;

receiving input from the user representing an identification number, each valid user having an assigned personal identification number, and

if the input matches the personal identification number for the user, presenting the user a setup sequence.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the administrative setting applies a constraint to a portion of the telephony features available to each of the plurality of users.

3. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein the user preference setting is bound by a constraint set forth by the administrative setting.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the telephony features comprise operational features for establishing a ring tone, establishing an operating period for receiving and initiating communications with other communication devices, limiting a duration of communications with other communication devices, disabling long-distance communications, blocking incoming communications of a calling party identified in a first screening list, blocking outgoing communications to a party identified in a second screening list, establishing secure access to the terminal device, establishing a contact book, and enabling voice, voicemail, email, short message system message, instant message, or paging communications.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises a wireless communication device and a wireline communication device and wherein the validation of network connections comprises detecting a base station in communication with the terminal device, detecting a phone line, and detecting an Internet connection.

6. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises a communication device operating according to a circuit-switched standard and a packet-switched standard, wherein the communication device comprises a portable communication device or a substantially immobile communication device, wherein the circuit-switched standard comprises a cellular telephony standard or a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) standard, and wherein the packet-switched standard comprises a voice over internet protocol standard or a video internet protocol telephony standard.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises a master terminal device associated with a plurality of slave terminal devices each having a corresponding slave provisioning element and each belonging to one of the plurality of users, and wherein each of the plurality of slave terminal devices operates according to its corresponding telephony usage profile.

8. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein the provisioning element operates in the master terminal device, and wherein the provisioning element presents a first setup sequence to an administrator to establish the administrative setting in the telephony usage profile of each of the slave terminal devices.

9. The terminal device of claim 8, wherein the slave provisioning element of each slave terminal device presents to a limited user assigned to said slave terminal device a second setup sequence to establish the user preference setting in its corresponding telephony usage profile bound by a constraint set forth by the administrative setting.

10. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of slave terminals is assigned a corresponding distinct ring tone according to its corresponding telephony usage profile and wherein the terminal device presents a graphical user interface having an indication of accounts provisioned for each of the plurality of slave terminals on a single page of the graphical user interface.

11. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the provisioning element presents a graphical user interface for establishing the multimedia telephony usage profile of each user by enabling email, a short message system messaging service, or an instant message service.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a terminal device, comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

establishing a multimedia telephony usage profile for each of a plurality of users sharing the terminal device as directed in part by an administrator, for validating network connections to a service provider'"'"'s communication system, and

presenting a graphical user interface displaying an indication of accounts provisioned for each of the plurality of users sharing the terminal device, wherein

the telephony usage profile of each user comprises settings selected from a group of telephony features,

the telephony usage profile of each user determines operations of the terminal device with respect to that user,

the administrator is a select one of the plurality of users of the terminal device and each remaining user in the plurality of users is a limited user,

the administrator establishes an administrative setting in the telephony usage profile of each of the plurality of users,

each limited user is prevented from modifying the administrative setting, and

each limited user establishes a user preference setting in the telephony usage profile of that limited user,

wherein the terminal device operates in a communication network of the service provider, the service provider providing the telephony features to the communication network,

and wherein a validation of a network connection with respect to a user comprises;

receiving input from the user representing an identification number, each valid user having an assigned personal identification number, and

if the input matches the personal identification number for the user, presenting the user a setup sequence.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting the graphical user interface for establishing the telephony usage profile of each user; and

managing operations of the terminal device according to the telephony usage profile of each user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the administrative setting applies a constraint to a portion of the telephony features available to each of the plurality of users and wherein the administrative setting applies to voice telephony service, voicemail service, email, a short message system messaging service, or an instant message service.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the user preference setting is bound by a constraint set forth by the administrative setting.

16. A method, comprising:

selectively establishing a multimedia telephony usage profile for each of a plurality of users sharing a multimedia terminal device; and

validating wireless and wireline network connections to a service provider'"'"'s communication system, wherein

the telephony usage profile of each user comprises settings selected from a group of telephony features,

the telephony usage profile of each user determines operations of the terminal device with respect to that user,

a select one of the plurality of users of the terminal device is an administrator and each remaining user in the plurality of users is a limited user,

the administrator establishes an administrative setting in the telephony usage profile of each of the plurality of users,

each limited user is prevented from modifying the administrative setting, and

each limited user establishes a user preference setting in the telephony usage profile of that limited user

wherein the terminal device operates in a communication network of the service provider, the service provider providing the telephony features to the communication network,

and wherein a validation of a network connection with respect to a user comprises;

receiving input from the user representing an identification number, each valid user having an assigned personal identification number, and

if the input matches the personal identification number for the user, presenting the user a setup sequence.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the terminal device comprises a master terminal device associated with a plurality of slave terminal devices each belonging to one of the plurality of users, and wherein each of the plurality of slave terminal devices operates according to its corresponding telephony usage profile that defines settings for voice telephony service, voicemail service, email, a short messaging system messaging service, or an instant message service.