Cell Phone Parental Support ApplicationUnder the guidance of:

Prof Pooja ShahBy:

Ancy VargheseMihika Shah

Why do we need this?

• Are your children or employees abusing the privileges of texting, calling and browsing?

• Are you worried they are using the phone for inappropriate activities?

• You will finally learn the truth about their activities

What is the app about?

• The app is a hybrid software/service which allows you to monitor your child's Android based smartphone in real time.

• It starts at every boot of the phone but remains stealth.

How it works?

• Parent installs the software onto their child's phone. They configure the program according to their specific needs.

• Child uses the phone normally. The app blocks and filters the actions specified and silently reports all actions to the Parent.

• Parents can check their logs and monitor the activities of the child in Real time.

Salient Features

• The app is non UI based background process hence the child would not be able to realize the presence of such an application running in the background, as it has no interface.

• The app has been desired to have less memory usage so that it can not be tracked.

What it does?

• It allows you to fully record the activities of your child's cell phone

• It makes full logs of every text message sent and received, and logs vital information about each phone call.

• The records do not rely on the phone's internal logging system, so if your child deletes their logs it won't matter.

…Contd

• You can still view every single text message and call .

• The interface for the parent can be through a mail (if the phone is usually connected to the wi-fi) or through a GSM module.

Assumptions

• For the app to work successfully, at this initial stage we assume that the phone has to be connected to the wi-fi or Internet through Packet Data Subscription, so that the logs get tranferred.

• If not that, GSM module can be used for transfer of the logs.

Functional Requirements

• REQ-1: The software should record user activities including SMS text messages, call information and GPS locations

• REQ-2: To view logs on the device itself or in a secure online control panel.

• REQ-3: Installation should be hidden from the phone user.

• REQ-4: Upon getting connected to the internet, the transfer of logs should begin.

Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance Requirements

Minimum RAM usage so that the application’s presence is not noticed and force killed. Installation without explicit installation through the internet is desired.• Safety RequirementsAs it is free of UI it is difficult for the child to realize the presence of such a software.

Software Parameters:

• Transfer time• RAM usage• Call logs summary size• Invoke Time

Technical Aspects

Interfaces

• There is no apparent interface on the smart phone because of the app being a non UI background process. So it is usually silent and hidden from the phone user.

• The other interface could be a another smart phone or a mail.

Requirements

• Android Version 2.2.1(Froyo) and above.• RAM requiremets: Minimum 128 MB• Processor speed: 600 Mhz and above

Installation Issues

• Parent either gets a one time access to the smartphone to install the app and then the app remains hidden in the background.

• Through the market, only if the parent has an account on the Google Market via the Android phone so that the installation ,if on the market , could be invoked by the parent.

Surpassing the app

• Loop holes in this stage includes that if the child finds out the extra RAM consumption

• Or finds an app that is unknown in the Task Manager or in the Manage Applications menu.

• Force killing the app does not invoke the app again.

Progress till now

• Call summary collection • Connectivity with the PC via sockets, which

can be used to monitor Texts, in real time

What next?

• Integrating the several modules to one app and making it run in the background, with no user interface.

• Using Wifi or GSM module to transfer the logs and summary which is collected by the Call Summary module.

Challenges

• Non UI background process• Minimum RAM usage• Invocation after being Force-killed

Future Enhancements

• GPS tracking• Blocking the malicious numbers• Application installation summary• Setting up time constraints for blocking calls.• SMS alerts instantly

References:

• Google Android Homepage: http://code.google.com/android/

• Google Android SDK: http://code.google.com/android/download.html

• Simple Notepad Tutorial: http://code.google.com/android/intro/tutorial.html

THANK YOU