Second party control over mobile device usage
AssigneeCingular Wireless II, LLC
InventorsJeffrey Clinton Mikan, John Ervin Lewis, Justin McNamara, Fulvio Cenciarelli, Anastasios L. Kefalas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mechanism is provided whereby a parent, or other second party, can monitor and/or control a child's or other first party's wireless device usage. An interface can allow the parent to set rules for the child's usage, and can specify that the parent should receive messages when a call is made to or from the child's wireless device. In addition to call information, the message may prompt the parent for approval of the call connection. Thus, a parent can decide whether a call that is incoming from or outgoing to a third party should be permitted.
Claims41
A method comprising:
- detecting, on a network, a text communication from a sender mobile device intended for a recipient mobile device associated with a first party before transmitting said text communication to said recipient mobile device;
- consulting a second party rule to determine that said text communication is subject to approval by a second party, wherein said second party rule is established by said second party;
- responsive to determining that said text communication is subject to approval:
- transmitting a notification that said text communication is subject to approval to said sender mobile device, and
- transmitting a request to a second mobile device associated with said second party, the request comprising a request to approve a transmission of said text communication to said recipient mobile device;
- receiving a response from said second mobile device;
- determining that said text communication is approved based on said response;
- and
- transmitting said text communication to said recipient mobile device.
A method comprising:
- detecting, on a network, a text communication from a sender mobile device intended for a recipient mobile device associated with a first party before transmitting said text communication to said recipient mobile device;
- consulting a second party rule to determine that said text communication is subject to approval by a second party, wherein said second party rule is established by said second party;
- responsive to determining that said text communication is subject to approval:
- transmitting a notification that said text communication is subject to approval to said sender mobile device, and
- transmitting a request to a second mobile device associated with said second party, the request comprising a request to approve a transmission of said text communication to recipient mobile device;
- receiving a response from said second mobile device;
- determining that said text communication is not approved based on the response;
- and
- terminating said text communication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.