Method and apparatus for custodial monitoring, filtering, and approving of content

• US 8,868,741 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Vignisson, Vidar, Von Reis, Will
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US12/395,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

The system provides a way for a parent or other custodian or guardian to control content to be accessed by a child or children on a network. In one embodiment, the system logs all activity on a network by a child and sends regular historical reports to the parent for review. The parent can set certain triggers that will provide more immediate feedback when certain events occur or when certain types of data are accessed, or an attempt is made by the child for such access. The system allows the parent to control the filters and options from a variety of sources, including via the child'"'"'s computer, texting, instant messaging, cell phone, other web enabled computers, and PDA'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A method for responding to a request for content on a network comprising:

initiating a request from a user for content from an unauthorized web page that was not previously approved on a computing device;

transmitting the request to a management server to initiate a review process;

comparing the request to a system database of approved requests and system approving the request when the request is in the system database of approved requests;

then comparing the system approved request to a parental filter;

banning the system approved request when the system approved request is in the parental filter of banned requests;

granting the system approved request when the system approved request is not banned by the parental filter and transmitting the content to the user in response to the request.