CONTROLLING TEXT MESSAGES ON A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130040604A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stephen A. Sprigg
• Inventors: SPRIGG, Stephen A., SWART, Hugo
• Granted Patent: US 8,699,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices for controlling access to messaging (SMS, MMS, email, etc.) on mobile devices (e.g., cell phones) during times or in locations in which such activity is prohibited or inhibited by the parental control settings. Parental control settings limit messaging features available to mobile devices to certain times and/or locations. Messages received at restricted times/locations are stored in temporary memory without notifying the mobile device user (i.e., messages are not placed in the inbox), unless the message is received from a pre-approved source (e.g., parent, teachers, etc.). Once the context for restricting access to messaging (e.g., time, location, etc.) no longer applies, the stored messages may be transferred from the temporary memory to the inbox and the user may be alerted regarding the new message.

Claims

1. A method for restricting delivery of incoming messages at a mobile device, comprising:

receiving an incoming message on the mobile device;

determining whether one or more restriction conditions match at least one restriction criteria specified in a parental control profile;

storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria;

checking the restriction condition to determine if at least one restriction condition still matches the at least one restriction criteria specified in an access control profile; and

passing stored received messages to the message application inbox when the restriction conditions no longer match any of the restriction criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the received incoming message to an inbox of the mobile device when the restriction criteria of the parental control profile is no longer satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a sender of the received message is an exempted sender specified in the parental control profile, wherein storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox comprises storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that both the sender of the message is not an exempted sender and that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one restriction condition includes a time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one restriction condition includes a current location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the restriction conditions include both a time and a current location of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the restriction conditions are set on an external server using a remote computer, the method further comprising:

sending the restriction conditions to the mobile device through a wireless communication network; and

storing the restriction conditions in a deeply embedded parental control module implemented in an operating system of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication network is a cellular telephone network.

10. A system for restricting delivery of incoming messages to a mobile device, comprising:

a parental control server;

a wireless communication network; and

a mobile device interconnected to the parental control server through the cellular telephone network, wherein the parental control server is configured to send restriction conditions to the mobile device; and

wherein the mobile device comprises;

a display;

an internal memory; and

a processor coupled to the display and the internal memory, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving an incoming message on the mobile device;

determining whether one or more restriction conditions match at least one restriction criteria specified in a parental control profile;

storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria;

checking the restriction condition to determine if at least one restriction condition still matches the at least one restriction criteria specified in an access control profile; and

passing stored received messages to the message application inbox when the restriction conditions no longer match any of the restriction criteria,

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication network is a cellular telephone network.

13. A system for restricting delivery of incoming messages to a mobile device, comprising:

means for send restriction conditions to mobile devices; and

a mobile device comprising;

means for receiving an incoming message on a mobile device;

means for determining whether one or more restriction conditions match at least means for one restriction criteria specified in a parental control profile;

means for storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria;

means for checking the restriction condition to determine if at least one restriction condition still matches the at least one restriction criteria specified in an access control profile; and

means for passing stored received messages to the message application inbox when the restriction conditions no longer match any of the restriction criteria.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

15. A mobile device, comprising:

a wireless communication transceiver;

a display;

an internal memory; and

a processor coupled to the wireless communication transceiver;

the display and the internal memory, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving a parental control profile comprising one or more restriction criteria;

storing the received parental control profile in the internal memory;

receiving an incoming message via the wireless communication transceiver;

determining whether one or more restriction conditions match at least one restriction criteria stored in the internal memory;

storing the received message in the internal memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria;

checking the restriction condition to determine if at least one restriction condition still matches the at least one restriction criteria specified in an access control profile; and

passing stored received messages to the message application inbox when the restriction conditions no longer match any of the restriction criteria.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

passing the received incoming message to an inbox of the mobile device when the restriction criteria of the parental control profile is no longer satisfied.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether a sender of the received message is an exempted sender specified in the parental control profile, wherein storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox comprises storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that both the sender of the message is not an exempted sender and that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the at least one restriction condition includes a time period.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the at least one restriction condition includes a current location of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the restriction conditions include both a time and a current location of the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

storing the restriction conditions in a deeply embedded parental control module implemented in an operating system of the mobile device.

22. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

23. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a cellular telephone network transceiver.

24. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a parental control profile comprising one or more restriction criteria;

storing the received parental control profile in the internal memory;

receiving an incoming message on the mobile device via a wireless communication network;

determining whether one or more restriction conditions match at least one restriction criteria specified in a parental control profile;

storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria;

checking the restriction condition to determine if at least one restriction condition still matches the at least one restriction criteria specified in an access control profile; and

passing stored received messages to the message application inbox when the restriction conditions no longer match any of the restriction criteria.

25. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations further comprising:

passing the received incoming message to an inbox of the mobile device when the restriction criteria of the parental control profile is no longer satisfied.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether a sender of the received message is an exempted sender specified in the parental control profile, wherein storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox comprises storing the received message in memory and not passing it to a message application inbox when it is determined that both the sender of the message is not an exempted sender and that at least one restriction condition matches at least one restriction criteria.

27. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations such that the at least one restriction condition includes a time period.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations such that the at least one restriction condition includes a current location of the mobile device.

29. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations such that the restriction conditions include both a time and a current location of the mobile device.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations further comprising:

storing the restriction conditions in a deeply embedded parental control module implemented in an operating system of the mobile device.

31. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to be executed by a processor of a mobile phone.

32. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile device to perform operations such that receiving an incoming message on the mobile device via a wireless communication network comprises receiving an incoming message on the mobile device via a cellular telephone network.