Account holder notification for an infracting mobile station or mobile directory number (MDN)

#In recent years, mobile wireless communications have become increasingly popular. Initial implementations of mobile wireless communications, for example in the form of cellular telephone networks, supported circuit switched voice communication services. The carriers developed short message service (SMS) technology to provide text and/or e-mail communications via the wireless communication networks. As the public wireless communication networks have evolved to provide greater bandwidth and packet based services, the industry has developed a variety of data services, such as web browsing, as well as a variety of services using multimedia message service (MMS) technology.

#As popularity and demand has grown, subscribers have increasingly obtained service for a number of mobile stations (with individual mobile directory numbers or “MDNs”) under one mobile subscriber account with the carrier providing services through the mobile communication network. For example, a family may have mobile phones for both parents as well as a mobile phone for one or more of their children. Verizon Wireless, for example, currently offers private customers up to five stations/numbers under one account/billing subscription.

#As usage of multiple mobile stations under one plan increase situations arise in which a subscriber may desire to restrict certain use or operations of one or more of the mobile stations under the subscriber's account, for example, to limit voice call, data or message usage so as to avoid excessive usage charges. As another example, a parent may want to limit the time of day usage by a child, for example, to prevent usage during school hours or late at night. Parental control restrictions may also limit the other numbers/phones that the child may call to or receive calls from, impose similar restrictions on messaging and/or impose various content or site restrictions on web surfing, downloading or other data services.

#The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.

#FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram useful in understanding networked elements/systems that may be used in providing mobile service subscribers various notifications, upon determination that a mobile station has committed an infraction of a usage restriction.

#FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram useful in explaining an implementation of a customer communication systems involved in providing notifications to mobile users, including those provided upon occurrences of usage control infractions.

#In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, known methods, procedures and components have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.

#The various examples disclosed herein relate to technologies for providing reliable notifications upon determination that operation of a mobile station through a mobile communication network has resulted in an infraction of a subscriber selected restriction imposed on the mobile station's network operations. Although the operation that rose to the level of an infraction is that of the mobile station, the mobile station is often associated with or assigned a mobile directory number (MDN), and for convenience of discussion below, we may at times refer to the infracting mobile station or to the infracting MDN of that station. One or more notifications of the infraction may be sent to the account holder, for example via different message delivery techniques; and in at least some cases, a notification may be sent to the mobile station of the infracting MDN. The notification techniques discussed herein may be applied to infractions of both hard and soft restrictions. A ‘hard’ restriction would be one that the mobile station cannot breach, in which case an infraction would be an attempt to communicate in a manner barred by the restriction. Examples include attempts to exceed a maximum usage limit or send or receive communication with another station identified on a blacklist (for blocking communications). A ‘soft’ restriction would one that triggers a notification when there is an infraction but for which communication is still permitted. An example of this later case would be when usage reaches or exceeds some threshold but is allowed to continue, e.g. where the threshold is at some level below a maximum usage ceiling or limit.

#Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings and discussed below. FIG. 1 illustrates a number of mobile stations, a mobile communication network coupled to other communication networks and several systems/elements associated with or included in the mobile network for various functions as may be involved in monitoring mobile station usage, determining infractions of usage restrictions and providing attendant notifications.