Controlling, filtering, and monitoring of mobile device access to the internet, data, voice, and applications

• US 8,769,044 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Carrie Carlander
• Inventors: Carlander, Carrie
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US13/340,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling, filtering, and monitoring mobile device access to the internet are disclosed. According to an embodiment a server is responsible for controlling, filtering and monitoring internet activity. For every request, the server interacts with back-end databases that categorize requests, and based on user/carrier/corporate settings, allow or disallow access to particular content.

Claims

1. A system for managing internet activity of a mobile device, the system comprising:

a proxy communicatively coupled to transmit and receive data information to and from the mobile device, and operable to mediate communication between the mobile device and a network, the proxy server to receive a request for content to be displayed on the mobile device via a wireless communication network, and wherein the request is addressed to a server having access to the content, and wherein the request is sent by an application on the mobile device via the wireless communications network and the proxy receives a user profile of a user using the application;

a carrier server operable to log user activity, and allow or disallow the mobile device access to the communication network; and

a mobile device server operable to control user access to content based on message content within communication to and from the mobile device, the mobile device server to determine whether content associated with the request is allowable based on at least in part the user profile and a preconfigured policy concerning content, and responsive to the determination, and allow the content associated with the request to be downloaded to the application of the mobile device via the wireless communication network if allowed, the mobile device server to not send the content to the mobile device via the wireless communication network if not allowed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the carrier server is further operable to:

communicate with a customer data storage to search for data including user profiles and user activity to determine if the mobile device is authorized to access the internet; and

pass a request for content from the mobile device to the mobile device server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the customer data storage is operable to store formatted information comprising user names, profiles, and content identifiers.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile device server is operable to control user access to domain names, sub-domain names, websites, and individual files based on information stored in the customer data storage and a mobile device data storage.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device data storage is operable to store formatted information comprising a categorization of domain names and keywords.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile device data storage is further operable to store formatted information comprising a complete list of all internet websites with associated categories based on content or metadata describing the websites.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the software stack further comprises a filter adaptor operable to monitor and store internet activity associated with the user profile.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device server is further operable to send an error message to the mobile device in response to an unauthorized request for content from the mobile device, and to pass the request for content to a firewall in response to an authorized request for content.

9. A computer-implemented method for managing internet activity of a mobile device, the method comprising:

transmitting and receiving data information to and from the mobile device, including receiving a request for content to be displayed on the mobile device via a wireless communication network, and wherein the request is addressed to a server having access to the content, and wherein the request is sent by an application on the mobile device via the wireless communications network;

receiving a user profile of a user using the application;

controlling user access to content, including determining whether content associated with the request is allowable based on at least in part the user profile and a preconfigured policy concerning content;

responsive to the determination,

allowing the content associated with the request to be downloaded to the application of the mobile device via the wireless communication network if allowed; and

not sending the content to the mobile device via the wireless communication network if not allowed.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

searching for customer data including user accounts and user activity to determine if the mobile device is authorized to access the internet.

11. The method of claim 10, where in the customer data is formatted information comprising user names, profiles, and content identifiers.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling user access to domain names, sub-domain names, websites, and individual files based on the customer data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the customer data is formatted information comprising a categorization of domain names and keywords.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein customer data is formatted information comprising a complete list of all internet websites with associated categories based on content or metadata describing the websites.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring and storing internet activity associated with the user profile.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending an error message to the mobile device in response to an unauthorized request for content from the mobile device; and

passing the request for content to a firewall in response to an authorized request for content.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the content comprises at least one of a text message and an instant message.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the application requesting content comprises at least one of a browser application, a text messenger application, and an instant messenger application.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device displays an indication that access to the content is blocked if the content is not allowed.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer code that, when executed by a processor, performs a method for managing internet activity of a mobile device, the method comprising:

transmitting and receiving data information to and from the mobile device, including receiving a request for content to be displayed on the mobile device via a wireless communication network, and wherein the request is addressed to a server having access to the content, and wherein the request is sent by an application on the mobile device via the wireless communications network;

receiving a user profile of a user using the application;

controlling user access to content, including determining whether content associated with the request is allowable based on at least in part the user profile and a preconfigured policy concerning content;

responsive to the determination,

allowing the content associated with the request to be downloaded to the application of the mobile device via the wireless communication network if allowed; and

not sending the content to the mobile device via the wireless communication network if not allowed.