IP Library Granted Patent US 11,159,632
Granted Patent B2
US 11,159,632 · App. 16/046,447 · Granted Oct 26, 2021

Program, method, and system for managing use of application

Inventors: Tomoki Umeya (Tokyo, JP); Junko Yamanokuchi (Tokyo, JP); Masato Nozaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: GREE, INC.
H04L67/22G06F21/121G06F2221/0735G06F2221/2149
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,159,632
App. No.
16/046,447
Granted
Oct 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system obtains a use condition for restricting use of an application in a first client device of a first user. The system obtains a use status of the application in the first client device. Responsive to the use status not satisfying the use condition, the system sends a notification to a second client device of a second user different from the first user, and/or restricts the use of the application in the first client device.

Claims (76)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program, which when executed by circuitry of a server, causes the circuitry to:

obtain a plurality of use conditions for restricting use of a plurality of groups of applications in a first client device of a first user, each application being associated with at least one of the groups, each group being associated with at least one use condition of the plurality of use conditions;

obtain, via a communication network, a use status of each application included in a first group of the groups in the first client device, wherein:

the use status comprises information registered in each application subject to at least one use condition and includes at least one of use amounts, use times, use intervals, and use of message transmissions and receptions for the application running in a predetermined period in the first client device; and

the use status for each application in the first group and subject to the same at least one use condition is accumulated to provide an obtained use status;

determine whether the obtained use status satisfies the at least one use condition associated with the first group, wherein the at least one use condition is satisfied if the obtained use status does not exceed an upper limit or violate a condition; and

responsive to determining that the obtained use status does not satisfy the at least one use condition associated with the first group:

send, via the communication network to a second client device of a second user different from the first user, a notification that the obtained use status does not satisfy the at least one use condition associated with the first group; and

enable, via the communication network, the second user of the second client device to restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

obtain attribute information input to the application in the first client device, compare the obtained attribute information with attribute information of the first user stored in a memory,

determine whether the obtained attribute information matches the attribute information of the first user as a result of the comparison, and

responsive to determining that the obtained attribute information does not match the attribute information of the first user, send a notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to:

responsive to the attribute information being not stored in the memory, request the second client device to register the attribute information.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

obtain, as the at least one use condition associated with the first group, a use amount upper limit, which is an upper limit of use amount of the application in a predetermined period,

obtain the use amount of each application included in the first group in the predetermined period,

determine whether the obtained use amount exceeds the use amount upper limit, and

responsive to determining that the use amount exceeds the use amount upper limit, send the notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

obtain, as the at least one use condition associated with the first group, a use time upper limit, which is an upper limit of a use time of the application in a predetermined period,

obtain the use time of each application included in the first group in the predetermined period,

determine whether the obtained use time exceeds the use time upper limit, and

responsive to determining that the use time exceeds the use time upper limit, send the notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

obtain, as the at least one use condition associated with the first group, a condition on a use time of day of the first group,

obtain a record of the use time of day of each application included in the first group,

determine whether the obtained record satisfies the condition on the use time of day, and

responsive to determining that the record does not satisfy the condition on the use time of day, send the notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

obtain, as the at least one use condition associated with the first group, a condition on transmission and reception of a message with another user who uses the application,

obtain a transmission and reception status of the message with the other user in each application included in the first group,

determine whether the obtained transmission and reception status does not satisfy the condition on the transmission and reception, and

responsive to determining that the transmission and reception status does not satisfy the condition on the transmission and reception, send the notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

obtain attribute information input to the application in the first client device, and

notify the second client device of the obtained attribute information.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to

responsive to the application being executed, obtain attribute information of the first user stored in a memory, and

store identification information of the application in the first client device in association with the attribute information.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to:

after the at least one use condition is associated with the first group, obtain an application use history of the first client device in a predetermined period,

determine whether or not the application use history satisfies the at least one use condition associated with the first group in the predetermined period based on a time elapsed from when the at least one use condition is associated with the first group, and

responsive to determining that the application use history satisfies the at least one use condition associated with the first group, give a reward available in a game that can be played with execution of the application to a user using the application or a manager.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of groups includes the first group including a first plurality of applications, and a second group including a second plurality of applications that is different from the first plurality of applications.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the first group includes a first plurality of applications, and the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to:

obtain, as the at least one use condition associated with the first group, a use time upper limit, which is an upper limit of a use time of the first group in a predetermined period,

obtain the use time of each of the first plurality of applications in the predetermined period,

determine whether accumulation of the obtained use time of each of the first plurality of applications exceeds the use time upper limit, and

responsive to determining that the accumulation of the use time exceeds the use time upper limit, send the notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the first group includes a first plurality of applications, and the program, when executed by the circuitry, causes the circuitry to:

obtain, as the at least one use condition associated with the first group, a use time upper limit, which is an upper limit of a use time of the first group in a predetermined period,

obtain the use time of each of the first plurality of applications in the predetermined period,

determine whether the obtained use time of any of the first plurality of applications exceeds the use time upper limit, and

responsive to determining that the use time exceeds the use time upper limit, send the notification to the second client device and/or restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

14. A method comprising:

obtaining, by circuitry of a server, a plurality of use conditions for restricting use of a plurality of groups of applications in a first client device of a first user, each application being associated with at least one of the groups, each group being associated with at least one use condition of the plurality of use condition;

obtaining, by the circuitry via a communication network, a use status of each application included in a first group of the groups in the first client device, wherein:

the use status comprises information registered in each application subject to at least one use condition and includes at least one of use amounts, use times, use intervals, and use of message transmissions and receptions for the application running in a predetermined period in the first client device; and

the use status for each application in the first group and subject to the same at least one use condition is accumulated to provide an obtained use status;

determining, by the circuitry, whether the obtained use status satisfies the at least one use condition associated with the first group, wherein the at least one use condition is satisfied if the obtained use status does not exceed an upper limit or violate a condition;

responsive to determining that the obtained use status does not satisfy the at least one use condition associated with the first group:

sending, by the circuitry via the communication network to a second client device of a second user different from the first user, a notification that the obtained use status does not satisfy the at least one use condition associated with the first group; and

enabling, by the circuitry of the communication network, the second user of the second client device to restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

circuitry configured to:

obtain, from the memory, a plurality of use conditions for restricting use of a plurality of groups of applications in a first client device of a first user, each application being associated with at least one of the groups, each group being associated with at least one use condition of the plurality of use conditions;

obtain, via a communication network, a use status of each application included in a first group of groups in the first client device, wherein:

the use status comprises information registered in each application subject to at least one use condition and includes at least one of use amounts, use times, use intervals, and use of message transmissions and receptions for the application running in a predetermined period in the first client device; and

the use status for each application in the first group and subject to the same at least one use condition is accumulated to provide an obtained use status;

determine whether the obtained use status satisfies the at least one use condition associated with the first group, wherein the at least one use condition is satisfied if the obtained use status does not exceed an upper limit or violate a condition; and

responsive to determining that the obtained use status does not satisfy the at least one use condition associated with the first group:

send, via the communication network to a second client device of a second user different from the first user, a notification that the obtained use status does not satisfy the at least one use condition associated with the first group; and

enable, via the communication network, the second user of the second client device to restrict the use of the first group in the first client device.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY ADDRESS AND ATTORNEY DOCKET NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 71296 FRAME: 163. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 10, 2025
From: GREE, INC.
To: GREE HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 071611/0203 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 16, 2025
From: GREE, INC.
To: GREE HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 071296/0163 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2018
From: UMEYA, TOMOKI; YAMANOKUCHI, JUNKO; NOZAKI, MASATO
To: GREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 047216/0365 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-148655 · Jul 31, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190037037A1 · Jan 31, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,244,600