Feature management of a communication device

• US 8,995,952 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kajeet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kajeet, Inc.
• Inventors: Weintraub, Ben Julian, Politi, Carol Ann, Neal, Daniel John, Kesser, Douglas Owen, Geller, Steven Ira, Baker, Matthew Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US13/786,986
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/405
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 establishment and enforcement of policies or rules associated with the feature or functions that may be performed with the device, such as making and receiving calls, exchanging data, playing games and music, sending and receiving email, accessing web sites, and paying for goods and services. If a child or employee is using the device, there may be a need 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 non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for managing a computing device associated with a plan, the medium storing thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to at least:

store a rule that determines whether units of value associated with a use of a function operable on the computing device will be deducted from a first allowance associated with the computing device or from a second allowance associated with the computing device;

store a policy that controls the use of the function on the computing device;

receive an update to the rule or to the policy from a server;

determine, in real time, whether the use of the function to interact with a remote computing device is allowed based on the policy and the update;

interact with the remote computing device based on the determination;

determine, in real time, whether charges associated with the use of the function are to be deducted from the first allowance or from the second allowance based on the rule and the update; and

automatically deduct, in real time, units of value from the first allowance or from the second allowance in response to the interaction, the deduction being based on the determination.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile phone.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the units of value represent credits for paying for the use of the function on the computing device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the function comprises one or more of voice calling, messaging, data surfing, gaming, content accessing, goods purchasing, and service purchasing.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plan is provided by a service provider and is shared between a plurality of computing devices that include the computing device, and wherein the first allowance, the second allowance, the rule, and the policy are defined based on input associated with an administrator of the plurality of computing devices.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the policy is associated with one or more contacts, wherein the policy allows the use of the function when the use of the function causes the computing device to interact with a second computing device associated with the one or more contacts, when the first allowance lacks sufficient units of value to pay for the use of the function, and when the second allowance comprises the sufficient units of value to pay for the use of the function.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the policy is associated with one or more allowed contacts and one or more blocked contacts, wherein the policy allows the use of the function when the remote computing device is associated with the one or more allowed contacts, and wherein the policy disallows the use of the function when the remote computing device is associated with the one or more blocked contacts.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the policy controls content that can be sent, received, or used by the computing device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed on the computing, further cause the computing device to provide a notification to a user of the computing device when the units of value in the first allowance pass a predefined level or when the policy denies use of the function.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the rule specifies that a first use of the function is to be charged to the first allowance and that a second use of the function is to be charged to the second allowance.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the policy is associated with one or more contacts, wherein the policy specifies that the use of the function is allowed when the remote computing device is associated with a contact from the one or more contacts, and wherein the rule specifies that units of value are deducted from the second allowance when the remote computing device is associated with the contact from the one or more contacts and when the first allowance lacks sufficient units of value to pay for the use of the function.

12. A system for managing a computing device based on a plan associated with a network managed by a service provider, the system being separate from the computing device, the system comprising a memory bearing instructions that, when executed on the system, cause the system to at least:

based on the plan, allocate units of value to an allowance associated with the computing device;

receive, by the system, a request to use a function on the computing device, wherein the request is sent from the computing device;

determine whether a first rule defined by the service provider controls the request independently of a policy, the use of the function being controlled in part by the policy;

generate, by the system, a decision to grant or deny the request based on the policy when the first rule is inapplicable to the request;

send, by the system, data indicative of an action that is consistent with the decision to the computing device for enforcement of the decision; and

deduct, in real time, units of value from the units of value allocated to the allowance or units of value associated with the plan and unallocated to the allowance when the decision grants the request, the deducted units of value being based on a second rule that is based on input provided by an administrator of the computing device via a user interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the policy comprises a first list associated with one or more devices and a second list associated with one or more devices, wherein the first list is defined by the service provider, wherein the second list is defined by the administrator, wherein the request pertains to interaction with a remote computing device, wherein the first rule grants the request independently of the units of value allocated to the allowance and of the units of value associated with the plan and unallocated to the allowance when the remote computing device is associated with the first list, and wherein the request is granted based on the policy independently of the units of value allocated to the allowance when the remote computing device is associated with the second list.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, when the remote computing device is unassociated with the first list and the second list, the policy grants the request based on a type of data that will be communicated to or from the remote computing device, an amount of data that will be communicated to or from the remote computing device, a time of day of the communication, or a geographic location of the computing device.

15. A computer-implemented method for managing a first computing device associated with a plan, the method comprising:

storing a rule that determines whether units of value associated with a use of a function of the first computing device will be deducted from a first allowance associated with the first computing device or from a second allowance associated with the first computing device;

storing a policy that controls the use of the function;

determining, in real time, whether the use of the function causes the first computing device to interact with a remote computing device and whether the use of the function is allowed based on the policy;

interacting with the remote computing device based on the determination;

making a real time determination as to whether charges associated with the use of the function are to be deducted from the first allowance or from the second allowance based on the rule; and

based on the determination, deducting units of value from the first allowance or from the second allowance in response to the interaction.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the plan is associated with a second computing device, and wherein the second allowance is associated with the second computing device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein units of value are automatically transferred to the first allowance from the second allowance when the units of value in the first allowance pass a predefined level.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the first allowance and the second allowance are managed by an administrator.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the policy comprises a contact defined by the administrator, wherein the policy allows the use of the function when the remote computing device is associated with the contact, and wherein the rule deducts units of value from the second allowance when the first allowance lacks sufficient units of value to pay for the allowance.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the rule specifies that units of value are to be deducted from the first allowance based on a type of data that will be communicated to or from the remote computing device when the function is used on the first computing device, an amount of data that will be communicated to or from the remote computing device when the function is used on the first computing device, a time of day of using the function on the first computing device, or a geographic location of the first computing device.