IP Library Granted Patent US 12,647,493
Granted Patent B2
US 12,647,493 · App. 18/637,791 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Program, method, and system for managing use of application

Inventors: Tomoki Umeya (Tokyo, JP); Junko Yamanokuchi (Tokyo, JP); Masato Nozaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: GREE HOLDINGS, INC.
H04L67/535G06F21/121G06F21/31G06F21/1064G06F2221/2149
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,647,493
App. No.
18/637,791
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a first device including first circuitry; and a second device including second circuitry, the first circuitry of the first device sets a first use restriction condition for the second circuitry of the second device, the first use restriction condition being for restricting execution of the applications executable by the second circuitry of the second device to be within a specific period of time of a day, sends information related to the first use restriction condition to a management server, and receives, from the management server, a determination of whether the second device has satisfied the first use restriction condition a predetermined number of times, and in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the predetermined number of times, the second device receives the one or more rewards from the management server.

Claims (48)

1 . A system, comprising:

a first device including first circuitry; and

a second device including second circuitry, wherein

the first circuitry of the first device is configured to

set a first use restriction condition for the second circuitry of the second device, the first use restriction condition being for restricting execution of applications executable by the second circuitry of the second device to be within a specific period of time of a day,

send information related to the first use restriction condition to a management server,

register a second use restriction condition for restricting execution of applications in a category of applications when a billing use amount exceeds a billing use amount upper limit during a predetermined period,

receive, from the management server, a determination of whether the second device has satisfied the first use restriction condition a predetermined number of times,

in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the predetermined number of times, the second device is configured to receive one or more rewards from the management server, and

in response to the billing use amount exceeding the billing use amount upper limit, restrict execution of the applications in the category by the second device.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein in response to the first use restriction condition not being satisfied a plurality of times, the one or more rewards are changed to have reduced value, and

in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the plurality of times, the one or more rewards are changed to have an increased value.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the first use restriction condition includes restricting the second device from using the one or more rewards stored in reward memory of the management server until the first use restriction condition is satisfied the predetermined number of times.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first device is further configured to communicate with the management server to register a third use restriction condition for restricting execution of the applications by the second device based on an age of a user of the second device.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein

the second circuitry is further configured to input the age of the user for one of the applications,

in response to the second device inputting the age of the user for the one of the applications, the system is configured to determine whether the inputted age meets the second use restriction condition, and

in response to the inputted age not meeting the second use restriction condition, the second device is configured to receive an error notification to the second device.

6 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein in response to one of the applications requesting the age of the user, the second device transmits a request to the first device to input the age of the user.

7 . A method for managing the user of applications, the method comprising:

setting, by a first device, a first use restriction condition for a second device;

sending, by the first device, information related to the first use restriction condition to a management server, the first use restriction condition being for restricting execution of the applications executable by the second device to be within a specific period of time of a day,

registering, by the first device, a second use restriction condition for restricting execution of applications in a category of applications when a billing use amount exceeds a billing use amount upper limit during a predetermined period,

transmitting, by the management server, a determination of whether the second device has satisfied the first use restriction condition a predetermined number of times to the first device,

in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the predetermined number of times, transmitting, by the management server, one or more rewards stored in reward memory of the management server to the second device, and

in response to the billing use amount exceeding the billing use amount upper limit, restricting execution of the applications in the category, by the second device.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising in response to the first use restriction condition not being satisfied a plurality of times, changing the one or more rewards to have reduced value, and

in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the plurality of times, changing the one or more rewards to have an increased value.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first use restriction condition includes restricting the second device from using the one or more rewards stored in the reward memory of the management server until the first use restriction condition is satisfied the predetermined number of times.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the method further includes registering with the management server, by the first device, a third use restriction condition for restricting execution of the applications by the second device based on an age of a user of the second device.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further includes:

in response to the second device inputting the age of the user for one of the applications, determining, by the management server, whether the inputted age meets the second use restriction condition, and

in response to the inputted age not meeting the second use restriction condition, transmitting, by the management server, an error notification to the second device.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further includes in response to one of the applications requesting the age of the user, transmitting, by the second device, a request to the first device to input the age of the user via the management server.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program, wherein the program, when executed by circuitry of a management server, causes the circuitry to

receive, from a first device, a first use restriction condition for a second device, the first use restriction condition being for restricting execution of the applications executable by the second device to be within a specific period of time of a day,

determine whether the second device has satisfied the first use restriction condition a predetermined number of times,

register a second use restriction condition for restricting execution of applications in a category of applications when a billing use amount exceeds a billing use amount upper limit during a predetermined period,

in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the predetermined number of times, transmit one or more rewards stored in the management server to the second device, and

in response to the billing use amount exceeding the billing use amount upper limit, restrict execution of the applications in the category.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the circuitry:

in response to the first use restriction condition not being satisfied a plurality of times, changes the one or more rewards to have reduced value, and

in response to the first use restriction condition being satisfied the plurality of times, changes the one or more rewards to have an increased value.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the first use restriction condition includes restricting the second device from using the one or more rewards until the first use restriction condition is satisfied the predetermined number of times.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry further receives, from the first device, a third use restriction condition for restricting execution of the applications based on an age of a user of the second device.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein in response to the second device inputting the age of the user for the one of the applications, the circuitry further causes the management server to determine whether the inputted age meets the second use restriction condition, and

in response to the inputted age not meeting the second use restriction condition, the circuitry causes the management server to transmit an error notification to the second device.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein in response to one of the applications requesting the age of the user, the second device transmits, via the management server, a request to the first device to input the age of the user.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY STREET ADDRESS AND ATTORNEY DOCKET NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 71308 FRAME: 765. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jun 10, 2025
From: GREE, INC.
To: GREE HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 071611/0252 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 16, 2025
From: GREE, INC.
To: GREE HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 071308/0765 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2017-148655 · Jul 31, 2017 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17346305 · Jun 14, 2021
Continuation 16046447 · Jul 26, 2018
Related Publication 20250328608A1 · Oct 23, 2025
References Cited (60)
US 8064789B2 · Moroi · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 8640198B2 · Raleigh · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9111105B2 · Barton · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9374379B1 · Hew · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10097347B2 · Nagao · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10558546B2 · Cranfill · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20030028622A1 · Inoue · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20050096009A1 · Ackley · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20080163323A1 · Lee · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20090271514A1 · Thomas · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20100121964A1 · Rowles · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20100235923A1 · Schepis · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20120011069A1 · Kazawa · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20120215662A1 · Ito · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20130040604A1 · Sprigg · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130122854A1 · Agarwal · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130143528A1 · Randazzo · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130254660A1 · Fujioka · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130325527A1 · Etchegoyen · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20140068755A1 · King · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140272894A1 · Grimes · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140280934A1 · Reagan · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140280944A1 · Montgomery · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140337997A1 · Beck · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140347983A1 · Griot · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150032887A1 · Pesek · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150248543A1 · Yoshinari · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160011912A1 · Rangaraju · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160042620A1 · Dandie · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160087854A1 · Jayanti Venkata · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160188888A1 · Dutch · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160232336A1 · Pitschel · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160255117A1 · Sinha · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160292060A1 · Mathew · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170004319A1 · Goldsack · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170078886A1 · Raleigh · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170149795A1 · Day, II · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170228550A1 · Harb · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180165467A1 · Yablokov · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180181728A1 · Lewis · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180365412A1 · Israel · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190036975A1 · Beckman · 2019 [cited by examiner]
JP 2001218976A · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009042991A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010039786A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010218552A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011070524A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011100226A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 5043431B2 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014533383A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015528674A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016013151A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016123561A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 20090010459A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
WO 2016020984A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued Aug. 26, 2025 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-157170. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Reasons for Refusal mailed Feb. 16, 2021 in corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-235366, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued May 21, 2019 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-148655, 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
Ex Parte Gross, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Appeal 2011-004811, Jan. 13, 2014 (Year: 2014). [cited by applicant]
Felt AP, Greenwood K, Wagner D. The effectiveness of application permissions. In Proceedings of the 2nd USENIX conference on Web application development Jun. 15, 2011 (pp. 7-7). (Year: 2011). [cited by applicant]