Feature management of a communication device

• US 8,630,612 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kajeet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kajeet, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Matthew Donald, Geller, Steven Ira, Kesser, Douglas Owen, Neal, Daniel John, Politi, Carol Ann, Weintraub, Ben Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US13/786,922
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 455/410, 455/411, 705/52, 705/53
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/35 Pay as you go
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method for the real-time management of a device, and more particularly to the establishment and enforcement of policies or rules associated with the feature or functions that may be performed with the device, such as making and receiving calls, exchanging data, playing games and music, sending and receiving email, accessing web sites, and paying for goods and services. If a child or employee is using the device, there may be a need to regulate how that device can be used and to determine who will pay for what goods or services. In addition to providing all of the features associated with a device, service providers need to be able to establish and enforce rules (policies) regulating how and when that device can be used and who will pay for a good or service requested by the user of the device.

Claims

1. A system for managing computing devices configured to communicate over one or more networks serviced by one or more service providers, the system comprising a memory bearing instructions that, when executed on the system, cause the system to at least:

store a policy that controls at least a use of a function on a computing device, the control comprising allowing and disallowing the use of the function based on a context associated with the computing device, the policy being defined by an administrator;

group one or more computing devices in a group;

associate the policy with the group;

receive a request sent to or from a computing device in the group to use the function;

generate a decision to grant or deny the request based on the policy; and

enforce the decision by taking an action that is consistent with the decision and by sending to the computing device data indicative of the action, the action allowing or disallowing the use of the function on the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the group comprises one or more mobile phones.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises one or more of voice calling, messaging, data surfing, gaming, content accessing, goods purchasing, and service purchasing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the context comprises one or more of units of value associated with a charge for the use of the function, an identification of a remote computing device that the computing device interacts with when using the function, an identification of a contact associated with a remote computing device that the computing device interacts with when using the function, a type of content received by or sent from the computing device in association with the use of the function.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the group and the policy are defined by the administrator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises a limit on units of value associated with the use of the function, wherein the decision denies the request when using the function causes the limit to be exceeded.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy is associated with a limit on units of value associated with the use of the function and is associated with one or more contacts associated with one or more remote computing devices, wherein the decision grants the request when using the function is associated with a charge of units of value that is within the limit, wherein the decision grants the request when using the function is associated with a charge of units of value that exceeds the limit and causes the computing device to interact with a remote computing device associated with the one or more contacts, and wherein the decision denies the request when using the function is associated with a charge of units of value that exceeds the limit and causes the computing device to interact with a remote computing device unassociated with the one or more contacts.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises a time-based policy, a location-based policy, or a quality of service-based policy.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy is accessible by the administrator via a website, and wherein the website allows the administrator to customize the policy.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises one or more blocked contacts associated with one or more remote computing devices, wherein the decision denies the request when using the function causes the computing device to interact with a remote computing device associated with the one or more blocked contacts.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy controls content that can be sent, received, or used by the computing device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the action comprises a notification to the administrator, a user associated with the computing device, or both the administrator and the user when the decision denies the request.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for managing a computing device configured to be operatively coupled to a network serviced by a service provider, the medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed on a system, cause the system to at least:

manage a policy that controls a function of a computing device, the control comprising allowing or disallowing the computing device to perform the function, the policy being defined by an administrator;

associate a plurality of computing devices with a group;

associate the policy with the group;

receive a request sent to or from a computing device associated with the group to perform the function, the computing device being associated with a plan managed by the service provider, the plan allowing the function on the network;

generate a decision to grant or deny the request based on the policy;

enforce the decision by taking an action consistent with the decision, the action allowing or disallowing the computing device to perform the function; and

send to the computing device data indicative of the action.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the policy establishes a total prohibition on content that can be sent, received, or used.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the policy establishes a quantity limit on content that can be sent, received or used in a given period of time.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the policy establishes a limit on how many units of value can be spent by a user on content that can be sent, received, or used in a given period of time.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed on the system, further cause the system to notify the administrator, the user or both the administrator and the user when the limit on how many units of value can be spent by the user has been reached.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the policy establishes a limit on a type of content that can be sent, received, or used.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the limit on a type of content is determined by a filter that reviews content that can be sent, received, or used.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the filter is established and managed by the administrator.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the filter is established and managed by a third party or the service provider.

22. A method executed on a computing system, the method comprising:

causing generation of a graphical user interface for use by an administrator of a computing device, the graphical user interface comprising;

a first field operable to associate the computing device with a group of computing devices; and

a second field operable to define one or more policies that manage a function of the group of computing devices, the management comprising allowing or disallowing each computing device from the group of computing devices to perform the function;

associating the computing device with the group based on input received from the administrator at the graphical user interface

generating the one or more policies based on the input received from the administrator at the graphical user interface;

receiving a request sent to or from the computing device to perform the function; and

allowing or disallowing the computing device to perform the function by enforcing the policy on the request.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more policies include a user established list of policies and an administrator established list of policies, and wherein the administrator established list of policies can take precedence over the user established list of policies.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein one or more policies further include a third party established list of policies, and wherein the third party established list of policies can take precedence over the user established list of policies and the administrator established list of policies.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the third party established list of policies is generated based on input associated with an institution attended by the user.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the third party established list of policies is generated based on input associated with an employer of the user.

27. A system for managing computing devices operable to communicate over one or more networks serviced by one or more service providers, the system comprising:

means for storing a policy that controls at least a use of a function on a computing device, the control comprising enabling and disabling the function based on a context associated with the computing device, the policy being defined by an administrator;

means for grouping one or more computing devices in a group;

means for associating the policy with the group;

means for receiving a request sent to or from a computing device in the group to use the function;

means for generating a decision to accept or deny the request based on the policy; and

means for enforcing the decision by taking an action that is consistent with the decision, the action allowing or disallowing the use of the function on the computing device.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising means for receiving from a device associated with the administrator first input that defines the policy and means for updating in real-time the policy based on second input received from the device.

29. The system of claim 27 further comprising means for storing a set of policies defined by an administrator of the computing device, means for selecting the policy from the set of policies, and means for associating the policy with the computing device.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the policy comprises a quality of service policy, and wherein disabling the use of the function comprises degrading the use of the function based on the quality of service policy.