POLICY MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20130065555A1
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kajeet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kajeet, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Matthew Donald, Geller, Steven Ira, Kesser, Douglas Owen, Neal, Daniel John, Politi, Carol Ann, Weintraub, Ben Julian, Flood, Michael Merrill
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method for the management of a device, including the establishment and enforcement of policies/rules associated with feature or functions that may be performed with the device. Modern devices are capable of many things, including making and receiving calls, exchanging data, playing games and music, sending and receiving email, accessing web sites, and paying for goods and services. Depending on who is using the device, such as a child, student, or an employee, there may be a need or desire to regulate how that device can be used and to determine who will pay for what goods or services. In addition to providing all of the features associated with a device, service providers need to be able to establish and enforce rules (policies) regulating how and when that device can be used and who will pay for a good or service requested by the user of the device.

Claims

1. A system for managing one or more devices, comprising:

one or more policy deciders including one or more rules, each rule among the one or more rules specifying a desired behavior associated with at least one function of the one or more devices, and providing a decision to accept or deny a request to perform the at least one function based on the one or more rules; and

one or more enforcers, each enforcer among the one or more enforcers being associated with the at least one function, each enforcer receiving the decision from the one or more policy deciders and enforcing the decision by taking one or more actions that is consistent with the decision and that is based on one or more device types associated the one or more devices.

2. A system for managing a device, comprising:

a switch or node receiving a request to or from the device to perform one or more functions associated with the device;

a policy decider storing a list of policies that control the one or more functions associated with the device, the policy decider deciding to accept or deny the request and providing a decision to accept or deny the request based on the list of policies; and

a policy enforcer enforcing the decision by the policy decider as to whether the request has been accepted or denied by transmitting one or more actions consistent with the decision to the switch or node.

3. A system for managing a communication device used by a user, comprising:

an administrator wallet for electronically storing one or more units of value, the administrator wallet being associated with an administrator and with a plan configured to enable a voice or data function of the communication device, the plan being shared with the user;

a user wallet for electronically storing one or more units of value, the user wallet being associated with the user and with the plan; and

a function manager for managing at least the voice or data function to be performed by the communication device, the function manager having a global rule that specifies whether a function from the voice or data function is permitted, the function manager having one or more local rules including a local rule that specifies whether a charge of credits associated with the function will be charged to the user wallet or to the administrator wallet.