System and method for controlling the use of a wireless device

• US 8,798,608 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ringen, Deron J., Wilch-Ringen, Brenda S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US12/023,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/565, 455/416, 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/420, 379/200, 379/210.02, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72475 specially adapted for disabled users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide for enabling a user to select telephone numbers to which a wireless device may place calls and from which the wireless device may receive calls. One preferred embodiment of the present invention includes software for use on a general purpose computer allowing the user to input into the memory of a wireless device desired telephone numbers that may not be changed by the operator of the wireless device. The computer software also programs the wireless device to only place calls to, or receives calls from, the telephone numbers entered into the memory of the wireless device by the owner.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

subsequent to receiving input data indicative of a set of telephone numbers and request data indicative of a request to save the input data, facilitating a transmission of the input data to a wireless device, wherein the input data is employable to facilitate a configuration of the wireless device that restricts the wireless device from communication with a set of respective devices associated with the set of telephone numbers;

instructing the wireless device to reject a modification of the input data in response to verifying that other request data indicative of another request for the modification of the input data has been received via an input interface of the wireless device; and

instructing the wireless device to accept the other request for the modification of the input data in response to verifying that the other request data has not been received via the input interface of the wireless device and verifying that the other request data has been transmitted from the communication device via a wired transmission link.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a display of the input data in response to determining that instruction data indicative of an instruction to review a setting of the wireless device has been received.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving instruction data indicative of an instruction to program the wireless device.

4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the facilitating the transmission comprises facilitating the transmission in response to the receiving the instruction data.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a first wireless device and the operations further comprise:

storing the input data in a data store of the communication device; and

employing the input data to program a second wireless device.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving update data to modify a subset of the set of telephone numbers.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the facilitating the transmission comprises facilitating the transmission in response to performing an authentication based on identifier data associated with the communication device.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the identifier data is indicative of an alphanumeric sequence and the operations further comprise:

directing, to the wireless device, the identifier data to facilitate the authentication.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the input data is transmitted to the wireless device via the wired transmission link.

10. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, in response to execution, cause a wireless communication device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

based on file data indicative of a set of telephone numbers that is received from a device authorized to configure the wireless communication device, configuring the wireless communication device to restrict communication with a set of respective devices associated with the set of telephone numbers;

receiving modification data indicative of a request to modify the file data;

in response to verifying that the modification data has been received via an input interface of the wireless communication device, denying the request to modify the file data; and

in response to verifying that the modification data has not been received via the input interface of the wireless communication device and verifying that the modification data has been received from the device via a wired communication link, accepting the request to modify the file data.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

subsequent to authenticating the device, receiving the file data.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the set of telephone numbers is customized based on identification data received by the wireless communication device.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, via an input interface of the wireless communication device, input data indicative a telephone number to which an outgoing call is to be established;

comparing the telephone number with the set of telephone numbers; and

in response to a determination, based on the comparing, that the telephone number is not within the set of telephone numbers, denying the outgoing call associated with the telephone number from being established.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a display of notification data via the wireless communication device, wherein the notification data is indicative of a notification that establishment of the outgoing call has been denied.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the device, identifier data indicative of an alphanumeric sequence; and

employing the identifier data to authorize the configuring of the wireless communication device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the wired communication link couples the wireless communication device to a universal serial bus port of the device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an incoming call from a communication device associated with a telephone number; and

in response to determining, based on a comparison of the telephone number with the set of telephone numbers, that the set of telephone numbers does not comprise the telephone number, rejecting the incoming call, wherein the rejecting results in a busy tone being initiated for the communication device.

18. A method, comprising:

based on file data indicative of a set of telephone numbers that is accessed from an authorized communication device, facilitating, by a wireless communication device comprising a processor, a configuration of the wireless communication device that limits communication of the wireless communication device with a set of respective devices associated with the set of telephone numbers;

receiving, by the wireless communication device, request data indicative of a request to update the file data;

in response to determining that the request data is received from an input interface of the wireless communication device, rejecting, by the wireless communication device, the request to update the file data; and

in response to determining that the request data is not received from the input interface of the wireless communication device and verifying that the request data is received from the authorized communication device via a wired communication link, accepting, by the wireless communication device, the request to update the file data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless communication device, identifier data from the authorized communication device, wherein the identifier data comprises an alphanumeric sequence; and

facilitating an authentication of the authorized communication device based on the identifier data, wherein the facilitating the configuration comprises facilitating the configuration subsequent to the authentication.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the verifying comprises verifying that the request data is received from the authorized communication device based on identifier data associated with the authorized communication device.