Parental control system for use in connection with account-based internet access server

• US 20020049806A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Toth, Anne, Lin, Tricia, Guggenheim, Bill, Robison, John, Gatz, Scott
• Application Number:
  US09/858,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• 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 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

An access server controls use of services in an account based access server and includes a database of users, a data structure associating users identified as parents with parent accounts, users identified as children with child accounts and associating parent accounts with child accounts in family accounts. The access server includes logic for verifying parental status of a parent account with respect to a child account and logic for limiting access to a user using a child account that is associated with a family account, where such limitations are determined, at least in part, based on selections made by a user of a parent account associated with the family account.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling use of services provided by an account based access server, the apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of users where each of the users are associated with a user computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a user database having data representing a plurality of user accounts, wherein a user account is associated with at least one of the plurality of users;

a relational data structure to maintain a relationship between the user account and at least one other user account, the relational data structure including at least one user account identified as a parent account and at least one user account identified as a child account;

logic to verify parental status of the parent account with respect to the child account; and

logic to limit access to a user of the child account that is associated with the parent account, where such limitations are determined, at least in part, based on a selection made by a user of the parent account.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the relational data structure further includes a family account comprising the parent account and the child account.

3. An apparatus of claim 1, further comprising logic to allow the user of the parent account to access the child account.

4. An apparatus of claim 3, wherein the logic to allow the user of the parent account access further comprises logic to allow the user of the parent account to view web sites presented to the user of the child account.

5. An apparatus of claim 1, further comprising logic to prevent the user of the child account from establishing another child account having a relationship with the child account.

6. An apparatus of claim 1, further comprising logic to prevent the user of the child account from establishing another user account not associated with the parent account.

7. An apparatus of claim 2, further comprising logic to prevent the user of the child account from establishing another user account not associated with the family account.

8. An apparatus of claim 5, wherein the logic to prevent establishing another user account is configured to require the user of the child account to provide verification.

9. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the logic to prevent establishing another user account is responsive to a child identifier.

10. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the logic to prevent establishing another user account is responsive to a credit card number.

11. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to limit access is configured to block access to all resources by the user of the child account based on the selections.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the access blocked is based also on a first age range.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first age range is under 13 years old.

14. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to limit access is configured to allow access to all resources by the user of the child account based on a selection made by a user of a parent account.

15. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to limit access is configured to allow access to a subset of all resources by the user of the child account based on the selections.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the access blocked is based on a second age range.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second age range is 13 years old through and up to 18 years old.

18. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the subset of all resources includes an instant messenger service with communications restricted to a friend list determined by a selection made by the user of the parent account.

19. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the subset of all resources includes one or more chatrooms with communications restricted to filtered language as determined by a selection made by the user of the parent account.

20. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the subset of all resources includes one or more non-blocked email addresses from communicating with the child account as determined by a selection made by the user of the parent account.

21. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the subset of all resources includes one or more authorized shopping areas as determined by a selection made by the user of the parent account.

22. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the subset of all resources includes one or more authorized clubs as determined by a selection made by the user of the parent account, where a club is a message board requiring membership.

23. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to limit access includes logic configured to allow the parent to modify an account characteristic used to define the child account.

24. An apparatus of claim 23, wherein the account characteristic modified is a public profile of the child account.

25. An apparatus of claim 23, wherein the account characteristic modified is a password of the child account.

26. An apparatus of claim 23, wherein the account characteristic modified is the child identifier of the child account.

27. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data structure is a link table.

29. An apparatus of claim 28, wherein the logic to permit one or more parent account access is configured to allow access to only one parent account.

30. An apparatus of claim 28, wherein the logic to permit one or more parent account access is configured to allow access to at least two parent accounts.

31. An apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least two parent accounts include at least one controlling parent account and at least one non-controlling parent account, wherein the controlling parent account is configured to override a selection made by the one non-controlling parent account.

28. An apparatus for controlling use of services provided by an account based access server, the apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of users where each of the users are associated with a user computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a user database having data representing a plurality of user accounts, wherein a user account is associated with at least one of the plurality of users;

a relational data structure to maintain a relationship between the user account and at least one other user account, the relational data structure including at least one user account identified as a parent account and at least one user account identified as a child account;

logic to verify parental status of the parent account with respect to the child account; and

logic to permit one or more parent account access to the child account associated with the one or more parent account, based on a selection made by a user of the one or more parent accounts.

32. A method for controlling a sub-account, the method using an access server coupled to a control account and a database, the access server configured to communicate with a user computer system executing a user interface operated by a human user and further configured to effect a modification of the sub-account, wherein the user interface includes a display device and a user input device, wherein the user computer system executing the user interface includes a processor and a memory coupled to the user interface, wherein the user computer system is coupled to a network for transferring information to the access server, the method comprising:

accepting signals from the user input device to access the sub-account associated with the control account;

presenting to the user of the control account one or more preferences, where the one or more preferences are associated with the sub-account;

selecting at least one preference; and

transferring information associated with the selected preference over the network to cause the sub-account to be modified.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein accepting signals from the user input device to access the sub-account includes determining that a predetermined control on the display device has been activated by the user.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the display device displays a web page, wherein the predetermined control is a button on the web page.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein accepting signals from the user input device to access the sub-account comprises accepting signals from the user input device to access the control account.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the sub-account is responsive to signals including a text command.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the sub-account is responsive to signals including a voice command.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one selected preference includes a subset of all resources available to the sub-account.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one selected preference includes an account characteristic.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one selected preference is configured to allow only one control account to access the sub-account.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one selected preference is configured to allow another control account to access the sub-account.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the control account controls the another control account.

43. The method of claim 32, further comprising adding another sub-account, wherein adding another sub-account includes:

creating a new sub-account by using the user interface; and

linking the new sub-account to the control account,

wherein the new sub-account is configured to limit access to a user of the new sub-account account that is associated with a family account, where such limitations are determined, at least in part, based on the selected preference made by a user of the control account associated with the family account.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein creating a new sub-account comprises:

determining that a prior sub-account has not been established for the user of the new sub-account; and

verifying that the control account used to establish the new sub-account is authorized to do so.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

determining that a control account is associated with the unauthorized user; and

indicating to a holder of the control account that the unauthorized attempt to create the new unrestricted account has been detected.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein determining that the user fails to meet the at least one minimum requirement includes determining whether a user age meets at least a minimum age.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein determining that the at least one minimum requirement of the user has not been verified includes providing a credit card number.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein determining that the user is associated with a sub-account includes using secondary verification information to prevent creating a duplicative sub-account for the user.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the secondary verification information includes account specific information.

45. A method for preventing creation of an unrestricted user account by an unauthorized user, the method using an access server coupled with a database, the access server configured to communicate with a user computer system executing a user interface operated by a human user and further configured to detect an unauthorized attempt to create the unrestricted account, wherein the user interface includes a display device and a user input device, wherein the user computer system executing the user interface includes a processor coupled to the user interface, wherein the user computer system is coupled to a network for transferring information to the access server, the method comprising:

accepting signals from the user input device to determine if a user meets at least one minimum requirement;

determining that the user fails to meet the at least one minimum requirement;

accepting signals from the user input device to verify that the at least one minimum requirement is met;

determining that the at least one minimum requirement of the user has not been verified;

accepting signals from the user input device to determine that the user is associated with a sub-account;

determining that the user is associated with a sub-account; and

denying formation of the new unrestricted account.

51. An apparatus for controlling use of services in an account based access server, the apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of users where each of the users are associated with a user computing device, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing data, the data representing a plurality of user accounts, wherein a user account is associated with at least one of the plurality of users;

means for maintaining a relationship between the user account and at least one other user account, wherein the relationship includes at least one user account identified as a parent account and at least one user account identified as a child account;

means for verifying parental status of the parent account with respect to the child account; and

means for limiting access to a user of the child account that is associated with the parent account, where such limitations are determined, at least in part, based on a selection made by a user of the parent account.

52. An apparatus for controlling use of services in an account based access server, the apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of users where each of the users are associated with a user computing device, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing data, the data representing a plurality of user accounts, wherein a user account is associated with at least one of the plurality of users;

means for maintaining a relationship between the user account and at least one other user account, wherein the relationship includes at least one user account identified as a parent account and at least one user account identified as a child account;

means for verifying parental status of the parent account with respect to the child account; and

means for permitting one or more parent access to the child account associated with the one or more parent account, based on a selection made by a user of a parent account.

53. A method for controlling a sub-account, the sub-account is configured to have limited user access to resources provided by a content manager, wherein the access to the content is controlled by a control account, the method comprising:

accessing the control account;

accessing the sub-account associated with the control account;

providing to the user of the control account one or more preferences;

associating at least one preference with the sub-account; and

modifying the sub-account according to the information associated with the at least one preference.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising a step for adding another sub-account, wherein adding another sub-account includes:

creating a new sub-account;

determining that a prior sub-account has not been established for the user of the new sub-account;

verifying that the control account used to establish the new sub-account is authorized to do so; and

linking the new sub-account to the control account such that the control account controls the another new sub-account.

55. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, wherein the computer data signal is used to control a sub-account, the sub-account being configured to have limited user access to content, wherein the access to the content is controlled by a control account, the computer data signal comprising:

program code to access the control account;

program code, responsive to the control account, to access the sub-account associated with the control account;

program code to provide to the user of the control account one or more preferences;

program code to associate at least one preference with the sub-account; and

program code to modify the sub-account responsive to the information associated with the at least one preference.