System and method for mobile device control delegation

• US 10,750,006 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2018
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiss, Andrew, Roumeliotis, Tasos, Roy, Sourya
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Marcos L
• Application Number:
  US16/144,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20190028585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A system and method for implementing controls corresponding to a particular mobile device. The method includes receiving from a first party corresponding to the particular mobile device a designation of a second party and receiving control instructions from the second party. A particular geographic area and/or a particular time frame is associated with the second party. A processor alternately delegates one or more device controls of the particular mobile device from the first party to the second party based on a current location of the particular mobile device relative to the particular geographic area and/or a current time relative to the particular time frame. The control instructions received from the second party are applied when the one or more device controls are delegated to the second party.

Claims

1. A method of implementing controls corresponding to a first mobile device of a particular user which is subject to monitoring by a first party and a second party, the method comprising:

receiving from the first party a designation of the second party;

receiving via a computer network first control instructions from the first party;

receiving via the computer network second control instructions from the second party;

receiving from the second party a modification to the second control instructions by the second party, the modification to the second control instructions by the second party comprising a designation of a second mobile device for defining a dynamic geographic area based on a location of the second mobile device;

providing a notification to the first party indicating the modification to the second control instructions by the second party comprising the designation of the second mobile device for defining the dynamic geographic area received from the second party;

receiving from the first party a permission to apply the modification to the second control instructions by the second party;

determining by the first mobile device at least one of a first location of the first mobile device or a first time;

delegating by at least one processor at least one device control of the first mobile device from the first party to the second party at least based on the at least one of the first time relative to a particular time frame or the first location of the first mobile device relative to a particular geographic area;

applying by the first mobile device the second control instructions as modified during a period of time when the at least one device control of the first mobile device is delegated to the second party to at least one of enable or disable a functional component of the first mobile device responsive to receiving the permission from the first party, the applying of the second control instructions as modified comprising defining the dynamic geographic area based on the location of the second mobile device;

determining by the first mobile device a second location of the first mobile device;

determining whether the second location of the first mobile device is within the dynamic geographic area; and

providing an alert to at least one of the second mobile device, the first party or the second party based on whether the second location of the first mobile device is within the dynamic geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the first mobile device at least one of a third location of the first mobile device or a second time;

transferring by the at least one processor the at least one device control of the first mobile device from the second party to the first party based on the at least one of the third location of the first mobile device or the second time; and

applying by the first mobile device the first control instructions received from the first party during a period of time when the at least one device control of the first mobile device is transferred to the first party to at least one of enable or disable the functional component of the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the notification to the first party comprises transmitting an SMS message to the first party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular geographic area comprises the dynamic geographic area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising delegating the at least one device control of the first mobile device from the first party to the second party at least based on the first location of the first mobile device relative to the location of the second mobile device.

6. A method of implementing controls corresponding to a first mobile device of a particular user which is subject to monitoring by a first party and a second party, the method comprising:

receiving via a computer network a first instruction set via a first user account of the first party, the first instruction set directed to at least one of mobile device monitoring or mobile device control;

receiving via the computer network a second instruction set via a second user account of the second party, the second instruction set directed to at least one of mobile device monitoring or mobile device control;

determining at least one of a first time of day, a first day of the week, or a first location of the first mobile device;

applying by at least one processor of the first mobile device the first instruction set at least one of during the first time of day, during the first day of the week, or during a period of time when the first mobile device is located at the first location to at least one of enable or disable a functional component of the first mobile device;

determining at least one of a second time of day, a second day of the week, or a second location of the first mobile device;

applying by the at least one processor of the first mobile device the second instruction set at least one of during the second time of day, during the second day of the week, or during a period of time when the first mobile device is located at the second location to at least one of enable or disable the functional component of the first mobile device;

receiving via the computer network a modification to the second instruction set by the second party via the second user account of the second party, the modification to the second instruction set by the second party comprising a designation of a second mobile device for defining a dynamic geographic area based on a location of the second mobile device;

transmitting a notification to the first party indicating the modification to the second instruction set by the second party comprising the designation of the second mobile device for defining the dynamic geographic area to create a modified instruction set;

receiving via the computer network from the first party a permission to apply the modified instruction set;

determining at least one of a third time of day, a third day of the week, or a third location of the first mobile device;

applying by the at least one processor of the first mobile device the modified instruction set at least one of during the third time of day, during the third day of the week, or during a period of time when the first mobile device is located at the third location, the applying of the modified instruction set comprising defining the dynamic geographic area based on the location of the second mobile device;

determining whether the third location of the first mobile device is within the dynamic geographic area; and

at least one of enabling or disabling the functional component of the first mobile device based on whether the third location of the first mobile device is within the dynamic geographic area.

7. A computing system comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon commands that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform a process including:

receiving from a first party a designation of a second party for enabling control of a first mobile device of a particular user, the particular user subject to monitoring by the first party and the second party;

receiving via a computer network first control instructions from the first party;

receiving via the computer network second control instructions from the second party;

receiving from the second party a modification to the second control instructions by the second party, the modification to the second control instructions by the second party comprising a designation of a second mobile device for defining a dynamic geographic area based on a location of the second mobile device;

providing a notification to the first party indicating the modification to the second control instructions by the second party comprising the designation of the second mobile device for defining the dynamic geographic area received from the second party;

receiving from the first party a permission to apply the modification to the second control instructions by the second party;

determining at least one of a location of the first mobile device or a time of day;

delegating at least one device control of the first mobile device from the first party to the second party at least based on the at least one of the location of the first mobile device or the time of day;

applying the second control instructions as modified during a period of time when the at least one device control is delegated to the second party to at least one of enable or disable a functional component of the first mobile device responsive to receiving the permission from the first party, the applying of the second control instructions as modified comprising defining the dynamic geographic area based on the location of the second mobile device, and the delegating of the at least one device control of the first mobile device from the first party to the second party at least based on the location of the first mobile device relative to the location of the second mobile device;

determining whether the location of the first mobile device is within the dynamic geographic area; and

providing an alert to at least one of the second mobile device, the first party or the second party based on whether the location of the first mobile device is within the dynamic geographic area.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the second mobile device is used by a third party.