Parental and corporate controls for camera-phones

• US 20060069756A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP-Link USA Corporation (TP-Link Technologies Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Singh, Mona, Singh, Munindar P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,869,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment

Abstract

A system and method of the present invention provide parental and corporate control for a camera-phone. An administration authority web site is provided that enables an owner of a camera-phone to log into a server and establish a set of control policies that specify what actions on the phone are authorized for what user. The control policies that affect behavior of the camera-phone are downloaded to the camera-phone, and the camera-phone is then operated such that a user of the camera-phone is only able to perform actions authorized by the control policies. In a further embodiment, a control policy is provided that requires the camera-phone to upload captured images to the server for review by the camera-phone owner. In addition, the images may be quarantined until the camera-phone owner authorizes their release to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing parental control for a camera-phone, comprising

enabling a camera-phone owner to set control policies for the camera-phone at a server that specify what actions are authorized;

downloading the control policies that affect behavior of the camera-phone to the camera-phone; and

operating the camera-phone such that a user of the camera-phone is only able to perform actions authorized by the control policies.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing a control policy that requires the camera-phone to upload captured images to the server for review by the camera-phone owner.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

providing a control policy that quarantines the upload images on the server until the camera-phone owner authorizes release of the images to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing a control policy that requires the camera-phone to upload a log of the actions taken on the camera-phone.

5. The method of claim 3 further including:

uploading images captured by the camera-phone with the log to the server for monitoring by the camera-phone owner.

6. The method of claim 3 further including:

providing a control policy that requires the server to acknowledge receipt of the log as a prerequisite to performing further actions.

7. The method of claim 1 further including:

restricting access to images captured by the camera-phone while the camera-phone is off-line.

8. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing a control policy that requires a user password to operate the camera.

9. The method of claim 8 further including:

providing a control policy that requires different passwords to perform different actions on the camera-phone.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

enabling the camera-phone owner to set the control policies by accessing the server on an administrative control web site.

11. The method of claim 10 further including:

enabling the camera-phone owner to review the images uploaded to the server and to authorize or deny authorization for the user to access to the images from the administrative control web site.

12. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for providing parental control for a camera-phone, the program instructions for:

enabling a camera-phone owner to set control policies for the camera-phone at a server that specify what actions are authorized;

downloading the control policies that affect behavior of the camera-phone to the camera-phone; and

operating the camera-phone such that a user of the camera-phone is only able to perform actions authorized by the control policies.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 further including program instructions for:

providing a control policy that requires the camera-phone to upload captured images to the server for review by the camera-phone owner.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further including program instructions for:

providing a control policy that quarantines the upload images on the server until the camera-phone owner authorizes a release of the images to the user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 further including program instructions for:

providing a control policy that requires the camera-phone to upload a log of the actions taken on the camera-phone.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further including program instructions for:

uploading images captured by the camera-phone with the log to the server for monitoring by the camera-phone owner.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further including program instructions for:

providing a control policy that requires the server to acknowledge receipt of the log as a prerequisite to performing further actions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 further including program instructions for:

restricting access to images captured by the camera-phone while the camera-phone is off-line.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 further including program instructions for:

providing a control policy that requires a user password to operate the camera.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 further including program instructions for:

providing a control policy that requires different passwords to perform different actions on the camera-phone.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 further including program instructions for:

enabling the camera-phone owner to set the control policies by accessing the server on an administrative control web site.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 further including program instructions for:

enabling the camera-phone owner to review the images uploaded to the server and to authorize or deny authorization for the user to access to the images from the administrative control web site.

23. A system for providing parental control for a camera-phone, comprising

means for enabling a camera-phone owner to set control policies for the camera-phone at a server that specify what actions are authorized;

means for downloading the control policies that affect behavior of the camera-phone to the camera-phone; and

means for operating the camera-phone such that a user of the camera-phone is only able to perform actions authorized by the control policies.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the control policies include a control policy that requires the camera-phone to upload captured images to the server for review by the camera-phone owner.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the control policies include a control policy that quarantines the upload images on the server until the camera-phone owner authorizes a release of the images to the user.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the control policies include a control policy that requires the camera-phone to upload a log of the actions taken on the camera-phone.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the control policy requires that images captured by the camera-phone the uploaded to the server with the log for monitoring by the camera-phone owner.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the control policies include a control policy that requires the server to acknowledge receipt of the log as a prerequisite to performing further actions.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein the control policies restrict access to images captured by the camera-phone while the camera-phone is off-line.

30. The system of claim 23 wherein the control policies include a control policy that requires a user password to operate the camera.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the control policies include a control policy that requires different passwords to perform different actions on the camera-phone.

32. The system of claim 23 wherein the camera-phone owner sets the control policies by accessing the server on an administrative control web site.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the camera-phone owner accesses the web site to review the images uploaded to the server and to authorize or deny authorization for the user to access to the images from the administrative control web site.

34. A method for providing parental control for a camera-phone, comprising

enabling a camera-phone owner to set control policies for the camera-phone at a server that specify what actions are authorized;

downloading the control policies that affect behavior of the camera-phone to the camera-phone;

only allowing a user of the camera-phone to perform actions authorized by the control policies;

in response to a user capturing an image with the camera-phone, uploading a log of the actions and the image to the server for review by the camera-phone owner; and

only releasing the images to the user if the camera-phone owner authorizes the release.