Parental control of mobile message content

• US 8,787,876 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cazanas, Carlos A., Khan, Azam, Tims, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US12/946,505
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455418-420, 455/466, 4554121-4122, 4554141-4143, 455/417
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An adult associated with a mobile station of a minor is allowed to monitor and control the multimedia content, such as multimedia messaging service (MMS) message content, that is accessible via the minor'"'"'s mobile station. A mobile station of the minor may be identified as such in the network information associated with that station'"'"'s mobile number. The information for the minor'"'"'s mobile station also identifies a mobile station of an associated adult. An MMS message addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor is first sent to the mobile station of the associated adult. This enables the adult to determine if the content of the MMS message is approved for delivery to the minor. If the adult approves the MMS content, the MMS message is forwarded to the minor'"'"'s mobile station, but the MMS message is not forwarded to the minor if the adult disapproves of the content.

Claims

1. A method of screening and controlling delivery of multimedia messaging service (MMS) message content to a mobile station of a minor, comprising steps of:

receiving a MMS message for delivery through a wireless mobile communication network;

determining that the MMS message is addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor;

sending a notification through the wireless mobile communication network to a terminal device of an adult associated with the mobile station of the minor that the MMS message is available for retrieval;

receiving a delivery request from the terminal device of the adult through the wireless mobile communication network for the MMS message, responsive to the notification;

sending the MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the terminal device of the adult associated with the mobile station of the minor, to make content of the MMS message available to the adult for review, responsive to the delivery request;

after sending the MMS message to the terminal device of the adult, receiving a response through the wireless mobile communication network from the terminal device of the adult, the response including a status indication of whether to authorize delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor;

determining from the status indication of the response whether or not the adult has authorized delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor; and

sending the MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the mobile station of the minor, only upon determining that the adult has authorized delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another MMS message for delivery through the wireless mobile communication network;

determining that the other MMS message is addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor;

sending the other MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the terminal device of the adult, to make content of the other MMS message available to the adult for review; and

blocking delivery of the other MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the mobile station of the minor, in absence of a determination that the adult has authorized delivery of the other MMS message to the mobile station of the minor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a communication device which is the source of the other MMS message addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor; and

receiving notification, from the terminal device of the adult, that delivery of future MMS messages received from the other MMS message'"'"'s source communication device and addressed to the mobile station of the minor should be blocked without making content of any further message available for adult review.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein information regarding blocked source communication devices is stored in a data set associated with the mobile station for the minor, the data set being accessible using a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an additional MMS message for delivery through the mobile communication network;

determining that the additional MMS message is addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor;

identifying the sender of the additional MMS message as the sender of the other MMS message;

determining that the sender of the other MMS message is blocked from sending MMS messages to the minor; and

blocking delivery of the additional MMS message to the mobile station of the minor without making content of the additional MMS message available for adult review.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal device associated with the adult is another mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the MMS message is addressed for delivery to a mobile station of a minor comprises:

identifying the mobile station to which the MMS message is addressed upon receiving the MMS message addressed for delivery; and

reviewing a data set associated with the identified mobile station to obtain information regarding the identified mobile station, the information including an indication the mobile station is associated with the minor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the data set is accessed using a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP), and the data set includes information identifying the terminal device of the adult associated with the mobile station of the minor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a communication device that is the source of the MMS message addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor; and

receiving pre-authorization to send future MMS messages received from the source communication device and addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor to the mobile station of the minor without making the content of future MMS messages available to the adult for review, the preauthorization being received from the terminal device of the adult.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving another MMS message for delivery through the mobile communication network;

determining that the other MMS message is addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor;

identifying a communication device that is the source of the other MMS message as the source communication device of the MMS message;

determining from the pre-authorization that the source communication device of the MMS message is pre-authorized to send messages to the mobile station of the minor; and

sending the other MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the mobile station of the minor without making the content of the other MMS message available to the adult for review.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein information regarding the pre-authorization is stored in a data set associated with the mobile station of the minor, the data set being accessible using a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an other MMS message for delivery through the wireless mobile communication network;

determining that the other MMS message is addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor;

identifying a communication device of the sender of the MMS message; and

reviewing an authorization list to determine whether the mobile station of the sender of the MMS message is preauthorized to send MMS messages to the minor or blocked from sending the MMS messages to the minor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the authorization list is associated with the mobile station of the minor, and

the authorization list has been created by the adult associated with the mobile station of the minor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the authorization list is associated with the communication device of the sender of the other MMS message; and

the authorization list has been created by law enforcement.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a source of the MMS message and a destination address of the MMS message are valid; and

storing a billing indication to bill the source of the MMS message when the MMS message is sent to the mobile station of the minor and the source and the destination address are valid, regardless of whether the MMS message reaches the mobile station of the minor.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a source of the MMS message is a communication device of an other minor; and

blocking delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor when the source is a communication device of the other minor.

17. An article of manufacture comprising programming instructions stored on a non-transitory machine readable storage medium, the programming instructions executable by a computer of a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) to configure the MMSC to perform functions including functions to:

receive a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message for delivery through a wireless mobile communication network;

determine that the MMS message is addressed for delivery to a mobile station of a minor;

send a notification through the wireless mobile communication network to a terminal device of an adult associated with the mobile station of the minor that the MMS message is available for retrieval;

receive a delivery request from the terminal device of the adult through the wireless mobile communication network for the MMS message, responsive to the notification;

send the MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the terminal device of the adult associated with the mobile station of the minor, to make content of the MMS message available to the adult for review, responsive to the delivery request;

after sending the MMS message to the terminal device of the adult, receive a response through the wireless mobile communication network from the terminal device of the adult, the response including a status indication of whether to authorize delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor;

determine from the status indication of the response whether or not the adult has authorized delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor; and

send the MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the mobile station of the minor only upon determining that the adult has authorized delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the functions include further functions to:

identify a communication device that is the source of the MMS message addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor; and

receive a pre-authorization indication from the terminal device of the adult, such that the MMSC is configured, responsive to the pre-authorization indication, to send future MMS messages received from the source communication device and addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor to the mobile station of the minor without making the content of future MMS messages available to the adult for review.

19. A multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) comprising:

an interface for communication through a wireless mobile communication network with a mobile station of a minor and a terminal device of an adult associated with the mobile station of the minor; and

a processor coupled to the interface and configured to;

receive a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message for deliver through the wireless mobile communication network,

determine that the MMS message is addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor,

send a notification through the wireless mobile communication network to the terminal device of the adult associated with the mobile station of the minor that the MMS message is available for retrieval,

receive a delivery request from the terminal device of the adult through the wireless mobile communication network for the MMS message, responsive to the notification,

send the MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the terminal device of the adult associated with the mobile station of the minor, to make content of the MMS message available to the adult for review, responsive to the delivery request,

after sending the MMS message to the terminal device of the adult, receive a response through the wireless mobile communication network from the terminal device of the adult, the response including a status indication of whether to authorize delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor,

determine from the status indication of the response whether or not the adult has authorized delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor, and

send the MMS message through the wireless mobile communication network to the mobile station of the minor only upon determining that the adult has authorized delivery of the MMS message to the mobile station of the minor.

20. The MMSC of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a communication device that is the source of the MMS message addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor; and

receive a pre-authorization indication from the terminal device of the adult, such that the MMSC is configured, responsive to the pre-authorization indication, to send future MMS messages received from the source communication device and addressed for delivery to the mobile station of the minor to the mobile station of the minor without making the content of future MMS messages available to the adult for review.