Remote mobile device management

• US 8,781,457 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tango Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Text Safe Teens, LLC
• Inventors: Randazzo, Phillip, Shimkus, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jeyaratnam, Jeyanath
• Application Number:
  US13/667,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.6, 709/233
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Remote mobile device management is provided. A master user account is established based on a request from a master user and a request to associate a remote mobile device with the master user account is received. The remote mobile device is associated with the master user account and management information is received from the master user account that is associated with the remote mobile device including restriction activation information. A first indication of geographic location is received when the remote mobile device enters a defined geographic area. The system also provides for the restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the first indication of geographic location. A second indication of geographic location is received when the remote mobile device exits the defined geographic area and provides for restoration of the at least one device capability based on the second indication of geographic location. Alternately, notifications may be sent to a master user upon receipt of an indication of a geographic location.

Claims

1. A system for remote mobile device management, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

establish a master user account based on a request from a master user;

receive a request to associate a remote mobile device with the master user account;

associate the remote mobile device with the master user account;

receive management information from the master user account that is associated with the remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes restriction activation information;

receive a first threshold indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device enters a defined geographic area;

provide for the restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the first indication of geographic location;

receive a second threshold indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device exits the defined geographic area; and

,

provide for a delayed restoration of the at least one device capability based on the second indication of geographic location and the remote mobile device remaining outside the defined geographic area for a delay period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management information further comprises at least one authorized caller and wherein voice communication capabilities with any authorized caller are maintained during the restriction of the at least one device capability of the remote mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the system to receive a third indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device enters a different defined geographic area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one device capability includes responding to at least one type of inbound communication, wherein the system is further caused to:

provide for the sending of an automated response from the remote mobile device to each inbound communication if the at least one device capability is restricted.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one type of inbound communication includes one or more of telephone calls, short message services, text messages, image messages, and electronic mail.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the automated response includes an advertisement.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one device capability is based on capability restriction information included in the management information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the providing for the restriction of at least one device capability causes at least one application of the remote mobile device to be disabled.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the restriction activation information provides for the overriding of one or more restrictions of the remote mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the management information can only be altered via the master user account.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further caused to:

receive an indication of device tampering when at least one of removal of a power supply of the remote mobile device, disabling of an application on the remote mobile device associated with the user account, or disabling of a global positioning system capability of the remote mobile device; and

send a device tampering notification to the master user account.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic location comprises an area determined by a radius from a specific location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the management information includes a restriction threshold.

14. A system for remote mobile device management, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive management information from a master user account that is associated with a remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes notification activation information and a geographic location;

receive an indication when the remote mobile device enters the geographic location and a restricted device capability is accessed by the remote mobile device at the same time the remote mobile device is within the geographic location; and

send a notification to the master user account based on receipt of the indication and the notification activation information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the management information includes restriction activation information and wherein the system is further caused to:

provide for a restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the indication;

receive an indication of exiting when the remote mobile device exits the geographic location; and

provide for restoration of the at least one device capability based on the indication of exiting.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the geographic location comprises a predetermined area around a specific location.

17. A system for remote mobile device management, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

establish a master user account based on a request from a master user;

receive a request to associate a remote mobile device with the master user account;

associate the remote mobile device with the master user account;

receive management information from the master user account that is associated with the remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes notification activation information;

receive a notification indication when a restricted device capability is accessed by the remote mobile device at the same time the remote mobile device is located in a geographic location, based on the notification activation information;

send a notification to the master user account based on receipt of the notification indication.

18. A computer-implemented method for remote mobile device management, the method comprising:

receiving management information from a master user account that is associated with a remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes restriction activation information;

receiving a first threshold indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device enters a defined geographic area;

providing for the restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the first indication of geographic location;

receiving a second threshold indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device exits the defined geographic area; and

providing for a delayed restoration of the at least one device capability based on the second indication of geographic location and the remote mobile device remaining outside the defined geographic area for a delay period of time.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions for causing a processor to perform a method for remote device management, the method comprising:

establishing a master user account based on a request from a master user;

receiving a request to associate a remote mobile device with the master user account;

associating the remote mobile device with the master user account;

receiving management information from the master user account that is associated with the remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes restriction activation information;

receiving a first threshold indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device enters a defined geographic area;

providing for the restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the first indication of geographic location;

receiving a second threshold indication of geographic location when the remote mobile device exits the defined geographic area; and

providing for a delayed restoration of the at least one device capability based on the second indication of geographic location and the remote mobile device remaining outside the defined geographic area for a delay period of time.

20. A system for remote mobile device management, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive management information from the master user account that is associated with the remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes restriction activation information;

determine when the remote mobile device enters a defined geographic area;

provide for the restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the determination of entering the defined geographic area;

determine when the remote mobile device exits the defined geographic area and remains outside the defined geographic area for a delay period of time; and

provide for a delayed restoration of the at least one device capability based on the determination of exiting the defined geographic area for the delay period of time.

21. A system for remote mobile device management, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive management information from a master user account that is associated with a remote mobile device, wherein the management information includes restriction activation information;

receive an indication of entering when the remote mobile device enters a defined geographic area;

provide for the restriction of at least one device capability of the remote mobile device based on the restriction activation information and the indication of entering;

receive an indication of exiting when the remote mobile device exits the defined geographic area for a delay period of time; and

provide for a delayed restoration of the at least one device capability based on the indication of exiting.