Parental controls customization and notification

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable medium are provided for enabling a user and an administrator in a network environment to interactively customize administrator controls used to filter the user's online actions. The computer receives a user request to perform a blocked online action. The computer provides information about the pending request to the administrator and receives request resolution information from the administrator. The computer updates the administrator controls used to filter the user's online actions in accordance with the request resolution information.

1 . A computer system for enabling a user and administrator of a network to interactively customize the administrator controls used to filter the user's online actions, the computer system comprising: 
 a setting database component for storing information about the administrators controls being used to filter the user's online actions; and    an administrator control component for: 
 tracking and storing the user's allowed and blocked online actions;  
 generating a history summary report from the stored information;  
 providing the history summary report to the administrator;  
 receiving an administrator request to block the user from performing a first action indicated as being allowed in the history summary report; and  
 updating the administrator controls for the user to include blocking the first action.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the administrator control component also: 
 receives an administrator request to allow a second action indicated as being blocked in the history summary report; and    updates the administrator controls for the user to include allowing the second action.    
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the administrator control component also prevents the user from modifying the stored history summary information.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the administrator control component also clears the stored information after generating the history summary report.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the administrator control component generates the history summary report periodically.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the administrator control component generates the history summary report in response to receiving an administrator request for the history summary report  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the history summary report includes information about one of: 
 (a) web sites the user was allowed to visit;    (b) web sites the user was blocked from visiting;    (c) electronic mail sent by the user;    (d) electronic mail that the user was blocked from sending;    (e) buddies with whom said user was allowed to have instant messenger conversations;    (f) buddies with whom said user was blocked from having instant messenger conversations;    (g) files the user was allowed to download;    (h) files the user was blocked from downloading;    (i) the user's amount of time online;    (j) applications the user was allowed to run;    (k) applications the user was blocked from running;    (l) applications the user was allowed to install;    (m) applications the user was blocked from installing;    (n) movies the user was allowed to view;    (o) movies the user was blocked from viewing;    (p) games the user was allowed to play;    (q) games the user was allowed to play;    (q) shared resources the user was allowed to access; and    (r) shared resources the user was blocked from accessing.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the history summary report information is sorted by the frequency of the user's online activity.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user is the administrator's child.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein history summary report includes an option for reviewing an online action in the history summary report.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the administrator control component also navigates to a Web site in response to the administrator selecting the option for reviewing an online action included in the history summary report.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the administrator control component also sends an electronic mail message in response to the administrator selecting the option for reviewing an online action in the history summary report.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the administrator control component also sends an instant message in response to the administrator selecting the option for reviewing an online action in the history summary report.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the administrator control component also downloads a file in response to the administrator selecting the option for reviewing an online action in the history summary report.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a consent database component for storing information about a user request to perform a blocked online action, wherein the administrator control component also stores information about the administrator request to block the user from performing the first action and information about the administrator request to allow the second action in a consent database.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the consent database resides in the network environment.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the administrator control component also: 
 detect the user logging onto the network environment;    search the consent database for a new administrator request; and    if a new administrator request is found, download at least a portion of the administrator controls to the user's local computer.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein if a new administrator request is found, the administrator control component also notifies the user of the new administrator request.