IP Library Granted Patent US 10,264,458
Granted Patent B2
US 10,264,458 · App. 15/159,584 · Granted Apr 16, 2019

Virtual private network based parental control service with motion-based restricted mode

Inventors: Scott Dorfman (Reston, VA); Umesh S. Chhatre (Ashburn, VA)
Assignee: Oath Inc.
H04W12/08H04L63/0272H04M1/67H04M15/883H04W4/027H04M1/72566H04M1/72569
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,264,458
App. No.
15/159,584
Granted
Apr 16, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In various embodiments, methods and systems for implementing motion-based parental controls on mobile devices using virtual private network (VPN)-based parental control services are provided. A parental control profile is received at a controlled device where the parental control profile includes instructions to configure the controlled device with a device motion-based control policy. The device motion-based control policy includes a motion-related condition and a resource that is restricted when the motion-related condition is met. A VPN is configured using the parental control profile. The VPN comprises a virtual point-to-point connection between the controlled device and a network of the parental control service. When it is determined that the motion-related condition of the controlled device has been met, a restricted mode is initiated on the controlled device to restrict the resource. It is contemplated that the restricted mode supports a VPN channel and a cellular channel for restricted and unrestricted resources, respectively.

Claims (47)

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing motion-based parental controls on devices, using virtual private network (VPN)-based parental control services, the method comprising:

accessing, using a controlling device component, a motion-based control policy to associate with a parental control profile, wherein the motion-based control policy comprises a condition and a resource that is restricted when the condition is met, wherein the motion-based control policy is accessed from a parental control server component of a parental control server;

generating, using the controlling device component, a device motion-based control policy for a controlled device, wherein the device motion-based control policy comprises at least the motion-based control policy, the controlled device is associated with the parental control profile that supports implementing the device motion-based control policy in a VPN-based parental control service; and

communicating, using the controlling device component, the device motion-based control policy such that enforcement of restrictions is performed on resources on the controlled device, via the parental control server component, based on the device motion-based control policy, wherein the parental control profile includes instructions to configure a VPN on the controlled device with the device motion-based control policy, wherein the VPN comprises a virtual point-to-point connection between the controlled device and a network of the VPN-based parental control service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion-based control policy is accessed for selection using a parental control interface that supports a set of predefined motion-based control policies and one or more user-defined motion-based control policies.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition is a multivariate condition having a trigger-on attribute and a trigger-off attribute that, respectively, initiate and terminate a restricted mode on the controlled device, and wherein the restricted mode restricts resources identified in the device motion-based control policy.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the condition further includes at least one of:

a condition threshold attribute that is a refinement to the condition to support implementation of the condition;

an exclusion attribute that explicitly identifies one or more resources that are excluded from a restriction; and

an exception attribute that identifies one or more instances when the condition is met but the restricted mode is not initiated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parental control profile includes an override mechanism that supports an override request action and an override response action to override a restricted mode on the controlled device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parental control profile includes instructions to configure the controlled device with the device motion-based control policy, wherein the parental control profile is communicated to the parental control server such that the parental control profile is communicated to the controlled device associated with the device motion-based control policy for configuring the VPN on the controlled device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device motion-based control policy further comprises a set of custom restricted resources, a usage control that restricts access to resources based on a defined time window, and an application control that restricts access to a selected application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein enforcing restrictions based on the device motion-based control policy comprises restricting resources based on a proxy service that intercepts, inspects, queues, and communicates messages via the VPN during a restricted mode initiated on the controlled device.

9. One or more non-transitory computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method for implementing motion-based parental controls on devices, using virtual private network (VPN)-based parental control services, the method comprising:

receiving, using a controlled device component, a parental control profile, wherein the parental control profile includes instructions to configure a controlled device for a device motion-based control policy, the device motion-based control policy comprises a condition and a resource that is restricted when the condition met, wherein the parental control profile is received from a parental control component of a parental control server;

configuring, using the controlled device component, a VPN using the parental control profile, wherein the parental control profile includes instructions to configure the VPN on the controlled device with the device motion-based control policy, wherein the VPN comprises a virtual point-to-point connection between the controlled device and a network of a VPN-based parental control service;

determining, using the controlled device component, that the condition in the device motion-based control policy has been met; and

restricting, using the controlled device component, the controlled device based on initiating a restricted mode on the controlled device to restrict access to the resource corresponding to the condition, wherein access to the resource is restricted using the VPN and the parental control component.

10. The media of claim 9 , wherein determining that the condition has been met is based on:

receiving motion-state information comprising at least a measured speed of the controlled device, from a sensor associated with the controlled device; and

comparing the motion-state information to one or more attributes in the condition, wherein the condition is a multivariate condition having a trigger-on attribute and a trigger-off attribute that initiate and terminate, respectively, the restricted mode on the controlled device.

11. The media of claim 9 , wherein the restricted mode supports a VPN channel and a cellular channel for processing data traffic to and from the controlled device, wherein the VPN channel processes operations associated with restricted resources and the cellular channel processes operations associated with resources that are not restricted.

12. The media of claim 9 , wherein requests for resources are restricted using a proxy service implemented using the VPN, wherein the proxy service controls both incoming and outgoing resources based on the device motion-based control policy.

13. The media of claim 12 , wherein the proxy service intercepts, inspects, queues, and communicates messages via the VPN in part to circumvent a message-receipt verification retry logic of a messaging platform associated with the controlled device.

14. The media of claim 12 , further comprising receiving an indication that access to the resource is restricted, wherein the indication comprises custom block messages for specific content controls, usage controls and application controls.

15. A system for implementing motion-based parental controls on devices using virtual private network (VPN)-based parental control services, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a controlling device component coupled with the one or more processors, having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controlling device component to be configured for:

accessing a motion-based control policy to associate with a parental control profile, wherein the motion-based control policy comprises a condition and a resource that is restricted when the condition is met;

generating a device motion-based control policy for a controlled device, wherein the device motion-based control policy comprises at least the motion-based control policy, the controlled device is associated with the parental control profile that supports implementing the device motion-based control policy in a VPN-based parental control service; and

communicating the device motion-based control policy such that enforcement of restrictions is performed on resources on the controlled device based on the device motion-based control policy;

a parental control server component coupled with the one or more processors, having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the parental control server component to be configured for:

communicating the motion-based control policy to the controlling device component;

receiving the device motion-based control policy for the controlled device;

restricting access to resources based on restrictions identified in the device motion-based control policy, wherein requests for resources are received via the VPN-based parental control service; and

communicating an indication that access to the resource associated with the condition is restricted; and

a controlled device component coupled with the one or more processors, having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controlled device component to be configured for:

receiving the parental control profile, wherein the parental control profile includes instructions to configure the controlled device with the device motion-based control policy;

configuring a VPN using the parental control profile, wherein the VPN comprises a virtual point-to-point connection between the controlled device and a network of the VPN-based parental control service;

determining that the condition in the device motion-based control policy has been met; and

restricting the controlled device based on initiating a restricted mode on the controlled device to restrict access to the resource corresponding to the condition, wherein access to the resource is restricted using the VPN.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controlling device component is further configured for accessing the motion-based policy for selecting, using a parental control service interface, a predefined motion-based control policy or a user-defined motion-based control policy, wherein the parental control service interface generates interfaces elements for parental control profile configuration, a motion-based control policy configuration, and additional controls configuration, for one or more controlled users and corresponding one or more controlled devices.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the condition is a multivariate condition having a trigger-on attribute and a trigger-off attribute that, respectively, initiate and terminate the restricted mode on the mobile device, and wherein the restricted mode restricts resources identified in the device motion-based control policy.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the VPN-based parental control service includes an override mechanism that supports an override request action and an override response action to override the restricted mode on the controlled device.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein enforcing restrictions based on the device control policy comprises restricting resources based on a proxy service that intercepts, inspects, queues, and communicates messages via the VPN during the restricted mode.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the restricted mode supports a VPN channel and a cellular channel for processing data traffic to and from the controlled device, wherein the VPN channel processes operations associated with restricted resources and the cellular channel processes operations associated with resources that are not restricted.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2021
From: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 057453/0431 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: OATH INC.
To: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
Reel/Frame 054258/0635 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 15, 2017
From: AOL INC.
To: OATH INC.
Reel/Frame 044884/0482 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 038662 FRAME: 0023. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 23, 2016
From: DORFMAN, SCOTT; CHHATRE, UMESH S.
To: AOL INC.
Reel/Frame 038851/0668 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2016
From: DORFMAN, SCOTT; CHHATRE, UMESH S.
To: AOL ADVERTISING INC.
Reel/Frame 038662/0023 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 14728713 · Jun 2, 2015
Related Publication 20160360415A1 · Dec 8, 2016