System and methods for managing the utilization of an electronic device

• US 8,078,140 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US12/950,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 455/410, 455/411, 705/52, 705/53
• US Class Current: 455/405
• 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 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/35 Pay as you go
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method for the real-time management of a device, and more particularly to the allocation of electronic wallets that are associated with one or more devices and various controls that enable at least two entities to manage how the device is utilized for various activities and to pay for goods and services. Each device is associated with at least two electronic wallets, a user wallet and an administrator wallet. The administrator can establish rules that designate how and when the device can be used and which wallet will be used to pay for goods and services desired by the user, but in the event the user wallet is depleted or low on funds, the administrator wallet can serve as a backup funding source for specified types of goods and/or services. Additional wallets can also be associated with the device to authorize and pay for goods and services, under the control of the administrator wallet, such as a promotional wallet that could be designated for use with the device before a primary or administrative wallet was used, or a dynamic wallet that could be associated for use with multiple different devices as well as other wallets, but acts in conjunction with the user and administrator wallets. Additional rules can be established to perform many other functions, such as manage the movement of value between wallets and from other sources to the wallets.

Claims

1. A system for managing an electronic device used by a user, comprising:

an administrator wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with at least the electronic device; and

a function manager for managing at least one function to be performed by the electronic device, the function manager having a global rule that specifies whether a function from the at least one function is permitted, the function manager having a local rule that specifies whether a charge of units of value associated with the function will be charged to the administrator wallet.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local rule specifies that the administrator wallet is to be charged for the function if the user cannot pay for the function.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a third party wallet, wherein the local rule specifies that the third party wallet is to be charged for the function if the administrator wallet cannot pay for the function.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third party wallet, wherein the local rule specifies that the third party wallet is to be charged for the function if the user cannot pay for the function.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the administrator wallet is associated with a card, and wherein the card is used to add units of value to the administrator wallet.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with the electronic device.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the user wallet is accessible by at least one of the user and the administrator.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the local rule specifies that if the administrator wallet is to be charged for the function and if the administrator wallet lacks sufficient units of value to pay for the function, then the user wallet is to be charged for the function.

9. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the user wallet or the administrator wallet are associated with a card, and wherein the card is used to add units of value to either the user wallet or the administrator wallet.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the units of value are credits representing services or applications.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one function includes one or more of downloading a content, playing a content, accessing a website, sending a text message, receiving a text message, making a phone call, and receiving a phone call.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the content includes one or more of a game, a music, a movie, a wallpaper, a ring tone and a website.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local rule specifies that a first type of content associated with the function is to be charged to the user and a second type of content associated with the function is to be charged to the administrator wallet.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the function manager sends an alert to one or more recipients in response to a balance of the wallet passing a predetermined level.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more recipients include one or more of the user, the administrator, and a third party.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the function manager sends a second alert to another recipient in response to the balance of the wallet passing a second predetermined level.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the alert is an email or a text message.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the function manager enables at least one of the administrator and the user to edit the alert and the predetermined level.

19. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the function manager enables the administrator to edit the local rule and the global rule.

20. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the function manager enables the administrator to create one or more additional local rules and to create one or more additional global rules.

21. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the administrator wallet is further associated with at least one other device.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the function manager enables the administrator to create one or more additional local rules and one or more additional global rules associated with the at least one other device.

23. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local rule specifies that charges associated with sending or receiving content between the electronic device and another device authorized by the administrator are to be charged to the administrator wallet.

24. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local rule specifies a list of contacts corresponding to other devices, and wherein the local rule specifies that charges associated with sending or receiving content between the electronic device and the other devices are to be charged to the user under one or more first conditions and to be charged to the administrator wallet under one or more second conditions.

25. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local rule specifies a list of contacts corresponding to other devices, and wherein the local rule specifies that sending or receiving content between the electronic device and the other devices is allowed.

26. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a promotional wallet for storing units of value and being associated with the electronic device, wherein the global rule specifies one or more promotional functions to be charged to the promotional wallet.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the global rule further specifies that the one or more promotional functions are to be charged to the promotional wallet for a specified period of time.

28. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the global rule further specifies that the one or more promotional functions are to be charged to the promotional wallet for a specified number of times.

29. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with the electronic device, further comprising a transfer function for enabling units of value to be transferred between the user wallet and another wallet for storing units of value.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the transfer function automatically makes the transfer of a predetermined number of units of value between the another wallet and the user wallet on a periodic schedule.

31. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the transfer function automatically makes the transfer of a predetermined number of units of value between the another wallet and the user wallet when a balance of a user wallet passes a predetermined level.

32. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the function manager enables the administrator to create one or more local rules and one or more global rules controlling the transfer function between the user wallet and the another wallet.

33. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the transfer of units of value is used for one or more of paying for communication services, paying for a type of content associated with the function, paying for a previously purchased product or service, and making a payment for a purchase of a product or a service.

34. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with the electronic device, and further comprising a gift function for enabling a third party to make a deposit of units of value to either the user wallet or the administrator wallet.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the gift function further enables the third party to make a transfer of units of value from an other device to either the user wallet or the administrator wallet.

36. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the deposit results in a charge associated with the deposit being added to a bill associated with a third party device associated with the third party.

37. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with the electronic device, and further comprising a refill function for enabling the administrator to make a deposit of units of value to the user wallet on a periodic basis up to a predetermined maximum level.

38. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a communication device, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a mobile device, a personal data assistant, a photocopier, a game device, a computing device, a network device, and a device being remotely controlled by one or more logical rules.

39. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the global rule is selected from the group consisting of blocking the function based on a balance of the administrator wallet, blocking the function based on the time-of-day, blocking the function based on a blocked number list, and blocking the function based on a content type associated with the function.

40. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with the electronic device, wherein the local rule is selected from the group consisting of blocking the function based on a balance of the user wallet, blocking the function based on a balance of the administrator wallet, blocking the function based on the time-of-day, blocking the function based on a blocked number list, and blocking the function based on a content associated with the function.

41. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a location feature associated with the electronic device, and the function manager further comprising a third party rule created by a third party and specifying whether the function is permitted based on a proximity of the electronic device to a location specified by the third party.

42. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the function manager includes a plurality of global rules, wherein one or more rules from the plurality of global rules cannot be changed by the administrator or the user.

43. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the function manager is accessible by the administrator through a website.

44. A system for funding a device used by a user, comprising:

a dynamic wallet for electronically storing units of value, the dynamic wallet being accessible by a financier; and

a function manager for managing a plurality of functions to be performed by the device, the function manager having a global rule that specifies whether a function from the plurality of functions is permitted and a local rule that applies if the function is permitted by the global rule and that specifies whether a number of units of value associated with the function will be charged to the user or to the dynamic wallet.

45. The system as recited in claim 44, further comprising a funding function accessible by the financier that enables the financier to associate the dynamic wallet with the device and to edit the local rule.

46. The system as recited in claim 44, further comprising an administrator wallet for electronically storing units of value and being associated with the device, the local rule further specifying whether the number of units of value associated with the function will be charged to the user, the dynamic wallet or the administrator wallet.