Devices and methods configured to control network access time

• US 9,935,956 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Cha, Derek Hee Jun, Chen, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu Ha
• Application Number:
  US13/717,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 709225, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of limiting access time to a computer network for client computing devices may comprise disposing an access controlling device such as router between the computer network and the client computing devices such that the client computing devices can only access the network through the access controlling device, at least while within an area of coverage thereof. A unique identifier may be stored for client computing devices whose access to the network is to be limited and a selectable allowable cumulative network access time period may be stored for at least some of these client computing devices. Using at least the unique identifiers, the cumulative network usage time may be tracked for each of the client computing devices. The access controlling device may then prevent further network access to those client computing devices whose tracked cumulative network usage time exceeds the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of limiting access time to a wide area computer network from a home network for a plurality of controlled client computing devices, comprising:

disposing, on the home network, an access controlling device comprising at least one of a network gateway and a router between the wide area computer network and the plurality of controlled client computing devices, wherein;

the plurality of controlled client computing devices can access the wide area computer network only through the access controlling device while within an area of coverage thereof; and

the plurality of controlled client computing devices operates without client-side parental-control software for controlling access to the wide area computer network;

storing, on the access controlling device, a unique identifier for each of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose access to the wide area computer network is to be limited;

associating and storing, on the access controlling device, a selectable allowable cumulative network access time period, received from an administrator computing device on the home network, for at least some of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose access to the wide area computer network is to be limited;

using at least the unique identifiers, tracking a cumulative network usage time for each of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose access to the wide area computer network is to be limited;

providing, through a user interface accessible on at least one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices, a mechanism configured to enable a user of the at least one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose cumulative network usage time is tracked to send a request for additional network usage time to the access controlling device;

receiving, in the access controlling device, the sent request for additional network usage time;

selectively granting or denying, by the access controlling device, the received request for additional network usage time; and

preventing, by the access controlling device, further access to the wide area computer network by the controlled client computing devices whose tracked cumulative network usage time meets or exceeds the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period while allowing access to the wide area computer network to those controlled client computing devices whose tracked cumulative network usage time does not exceed the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the controlled client computing device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is further based on an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the controlled client computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising enabling selection of the allowable cumulative network access time period for at least some of the plurality of controlled client computing devices through a secure user interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating comprises selecting a first allowable cumulative network access time period for a first span of time and a second allowable cumulative network access time period for a second span of time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein:

the first span of time comprises weekdays; and

the second span of time comprises weekend days.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a usage log for any of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose cumulative network usage time is tracked.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising linking at least a first one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices and a second one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices such that the linked controlled client computing devices together share the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising routing network traffic for the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose cumulative network usage time is tracked until respective tracked cumulative network usage times meet or exceed corresponding selectable allowable cumulative network access time periods.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access controlling device is further configured as a network gateway device.

11. A network access device located on a home network and configured to limit access time to a wide area computer network for a plurality of controlled client computing devices located within an area of coverage of the network access device, the plurality of controlled client computing devices configured to operate without a client-side parental-control software, the network access device being configured to:

(1) store, on the network access device, a unique identifier for each of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose access to the wide area computer network is to be limited;

(2) associate and store, on the network access device, a selectable allowable cumulative network access time period, received from an administrator computing device on the home network, for at least some of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose access to the wide area computer network is to be limited;

(3) using at least the unique identifiers, track a cumulative network usage time for each of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose access to the wide area computer network is to be limited;

(4) provide, through a user interface accessible on at least one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices, a mechanism configured to enable a user of the at least one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose cumulative network usage time is tracked to send a request for additional network usage time to the network access device, the network access device being configured as at least one of a network gateway and a router;

(5) receive, in the network access device, the sent request for additional network usage time;

(6) selectively grant or deny, by the network access device, the received request for additional network usage time; and

(7) prevent, by the network access device, further access to the wide area computer network by the controlled client computing devices whose tracked cumulative network usage time meets or exceeds the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period while allowing access to the wide area computer network to those controlled client computing devices whose tracked cumulative network usage time does not exceed the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period.

12. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the unique identifier comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the controlled client computing device.

13. The network access device of claim 12, wherein the unique identifier is further based on an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the controlled client computing device.

14. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the network access device is further configured to enable selection of the allowable cumulative network access time period for at least some of the plurality of controlled client computing devices through a secure user interface.

15. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the network access device is further configured to associate a selectable first allowable cumulative network access time period for a first span of time and a selectable second allowable cumulative network access time period for a second span of time.

16. The network access device of claim 15, wherein:

the first span of time comprises weekdays; and

the second span of time comprises weekend days.

17. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the network access device is further configured to generate a usage log for any of the controlled client computing devices whose cumulative network usage time is tracked.

18. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the network access device is further configured to link at least a first one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices and a second one of the plurality of controlled client computing devices such that the linked controlled client computing devices together share the selectable allowable cumulative network access time period.

19. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the network access device is further configured to route network traffic for the plurality of controlled client computing devices whose cumulative network usage time is tracked until respective tracked cumulative network usage times meet or exceed corresponding selectable allowable cumulative network access time periods.

20. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the network access device is further configured as a network gateway device.