Age verification and content filtering systems and methods

Abstract

A system and method is provided for age verification and content filtering (AV/CF) on a wireless telecommunications system capable of providing enhanced products such as Internet, WAP, messaging, games, video, music, applications, etc. A profile controls content that is accessible by a user depending upon the user's age or restrictions placed on accessible content in accordance with content categories. Rating information is obtained from content providers and mapped to content categories or content is rated dynamically. User's requests for access may be recorded whether access is provided or denied and used to provide reports including reports to account holders responsible for the user's account. In some instances, attempts to access banned information may be reported to law enforcement officials.

1 . A computer system for restricting content on a network comprising:
 a policy service profile (PSP) configured to store in memory at least profile information for at least one user;   a content decision point (CDP) configured to read or determine a rating for content accessible via a handset, the CDP comprising a processor and computer-readable instructions for performing the reading and determining operations; and   a policy enforcement point (PEP) configured to work with the CDP to determine the content rating for content requested by the handset according to a plurality of defined content categories, and, based upon a profile of at least one user as contained within the PSP, allow or deny access to the requested content, the PEP comprising a processor and computer-readable instructions for performing the determining, allowing, and denying.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the content accessible via the handset includes at least one of Internet content, messaging content including SMS and MMS messages, or multimedia content. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the CDP is configured to record the requested content, whether accessed or denied. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the profile information includes at least one of a mobile directory number of the handset associated with the user, the age of the user, or the rating for content accessible via the handset according to the defined content categories. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of defined content categories comprise universal, youth, teen, mature/adult and banned. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising an authorization system configured to require an access code from the at least one user before the at least one user is able to access content accessible via the handset. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the access code may not be created by an individual seventeen years of age or less. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the access code comprises a plurality of access codes each specifying a different type of content that the user may access. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the type of content able to be accessed by a particular access code includes content having a particular restriction rating and content that is less restrictive than the particular restriction rating. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a carrier's network configured to receive a request from a handset of a user; and   an authentication, authorization, and accounting server configured to authenticate the user as a subscriber to the carrier in order to access the carrier's network;   the carrier's network comprising:
 a carrier's data network configured to receive the request and route the request through the data network to at least one product silo depending upon a product identified in the request; 
 a WAP interface in the carrier's network configured to manage one or more profiles of the user in an age verification/content filtering (AV/CF) system and other user-related functions; 
 an access manager configured to determine the status of the user and to provide the user access to an identity management platform that allows the user to manage the one or more profiles associated with the user if the user is authorized; 
 a policy service profile (PSP) configured to store at least a portion of at least one of the one or more the profiles of the user; 
 a content management platform configured to allow the carrier to establish defined content categories and map commercially available rating systems to defined content categories and to dynamically rate unrated content; and 
 a content decision point (CDP) configured to determine the rating of content that the user is attempting to access, determine the content category that the content is mapped to, compare the content category to the one or more profiles of the user, and provide or deny access according to the one or more profiles, 
   wherein the content management platform is configured to work in cooperation with the identity management platform to enforce content rating restrictions as defined in the PSP based upon at least one of an age of a user or the content restriction applied to the content categories by the user.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more product silos are at least one of a wireless access protocol (WAP), web, or an application. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the other user-related functions are at least one of billing or cellular network usage. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more profiles comprise at least one of a mobile directory network of the user, and age of the user, or a content rating for various content products. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the content categories comprise universal, youth, teen, mature/adult and banned. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the identity management platform and the PSP are integrated with the AAA server. 
     
     
         16 . A method of restricting content on a network comprising:
 generating a policy service profile comprising at least one profile information for at least one user;   determining, at a content decision point (CDP), a rating for content accessible via at least one handset associated with at least one user; and   determining, at one or more policy enforcement points, the content rating of content requested via the at least one handset according to at least one defined content category; and   based upon a profile of the at least one user, allowing access or denying access to the requested content.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the content accessible via the at least one handset comprises at least one of Internet content, messaging content including SMS and MMS messages, or multimedia content. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising recording the requested content, whether accessed or denied, in a database by the CDP. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the profile information comprises at least one of a mobile directory number of at least one handset associated with at least one user, the age of the user, or a rating for content accessible via the handset according to the defined content categories. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one defined content category include universal, youth, teen, mature/adult and banned. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising requiring a valid access code from the at least one user before the at least one user is able to access content, accessible via the at least one handset, that has a content rating of mature/adult. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the profile information specifies which mobile numbers are permitted to send messaging content to the handset.