Enhanced curfew and protection associated with a device group

• US 10,681,179 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Tellado, Jose, Green, Jeffrey, Lavine, James, Carter, III, Russell Bertrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy, Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/958,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20190037049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 705 30, 709217-223, 4554141, 4554321, 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A method comprising obtaining, from a master user, a device usage allocation applicable to two or more devices, the two or more devices being associated with another user, the another user being different from the master user, obtaining an aggregate measure of device usage associated with the two or more devices, if the aggregate measure of device usage associated with the two or more devices satisfies a condition relative to the device usage allocation, managing an activity of the two or more devices, and sending a notification to at least one of the two or more devices, the notification for presentation to the another user through a user interface of the at least one of the two or more devices.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless end-user device, the method comprising:

designating the first wireless end-user device as subject to controls under a device group authorization from an authorized master wireless end-user device,

receiving, via a wireless modem on the first wireless end-user device, one or more protection management profiles from the master wireless end-user device,

evaluating a current status of a plurality of device states for the first wireless end-user device, including a device location change state and a device user input/output method state, against corresponding settings in a given one of the protection management profiles, to determine a value for a match status to the plurality of devices states,

for at least one determined value of the match status, performing one or more corresponding network activity management actions specified in the given one of the protection management profiles, the network activity management actions limiting at least a specified one of a plurality of device service activities conducted by the first wireless end-user device with a network, via the wireless modem, and

for at least one other determined value of the match status, refraining from performing the one or more activity management actions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more protection management profiles comprise at least two protection management profiles, and wherein evaluating the current status of a plurality of device states against corresponding settings in a given one of the protection management profiles comprises evaluating to determine two corresponding match state values.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining an association of the first wireless end-user device to the device group, irrespective of a mobile operator or wireless service provider also associated with the first wireless end-user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless end-user device and the master wireless end-user device execute a common operating system type, the common operating system type managing the device group authorization.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first wireless end-user device receiving a credential from the master wireless end-user device to authorize a distribution of the protection management profiles to the first wireless end-user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving via the wireless modem the one or more protection management profiles from the master user device comprises receiving at least one of the protection management profiles via a connection to a network service controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device location change state is a sensed device speed, and the corresponding setting is a speed threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the speed threshold is set to allow for sensed device speeds indicative of walking and/or jogging to be less than the speed threshold.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the device user input/output method state current status includes at least one first status indicating user interaction with a touchscreen interface of the wireless end-user device, and at least one status indicating user interaction without use of the touchscreen interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a first match status from the at least one determined value of the match status indicates a sensed device speed above the speed threshold and user interaction with a touchscreen interface of the wireless end-user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein for the first match status, the at least a specified one of the device service activities comprises a messaging application.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a second match status from the at least one other determined value of the match status indicates a sensed device speed above the speed threshold and user interaction without use of the touchscreen interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein limiting at least a specified one of the device service activities comprises one or more of locking the device, pausing the device, powering down the device, disabling a user interface of the device, terminating the specified one of the device service activities, and presenting a user notification regarding the specified one of the device service activities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least a specified one of the device service activities is ongoing at a time that the match status changes to the at least one determined value of the match status from the at least one other determined value of the match status.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more corresponding network activity management actions comprise a specified action as to whether the wireless modem is enabled or disabled.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless modem is a first wireless modem, the device further comprising a second wireless modem, the given one of the protection management profiles comprising different actions for the first and second wireless modems.