Authentication and control of incoming communication

• US 10,091,350 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc D
• Application Number:
  US15/690,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20180007194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 37914201, 37914206, 348 1401, 348 1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/01 Cocot systems, i.e. private ownership of payphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/12 using calling, telephone credit/debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject

Abstract

An incoming communication processing system and method is disclosed for providing communication and data services to residents of a controlled facility. Specifically, the incoming communication processing system allows outside parties to initiate communications to residents of a controlled facility. The incoming communication processing system may work in conjunction with or separately from an outgoing communication processing system. Many restrictions and safeguards may be implemented within the incoming communication system in order to prevent improper use.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

interfacing an incoming communication processing system to a previously installed outgoing communication processing system, wherein the incoming communication processing system utilizes communication processing circuitry separate from the previously installed outgoing communication processing system;

receiving an incoming communication, wherein the incoming communication includes an inmate identification;

determining an inmate communication device associated with the inmate identification using inmate communication device information stored by the previously installed outgoing communication processing system; and

routing the incoming communication to the determined inmate communication device based on the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication includes a text component and a video component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inmate communication device is a personal wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring biometric information included in the incoming communication to detect a presence of an unauthorized party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inmate communication device information includes routing rules configured to route the incoming communication based on identification information related to an outside party originating the incoming communication.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining, further comprises:

searching a block list based on the identification information;

identifying the outside party as being listed on the block list; and

limiting the incoming communication based on the identifying.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second incoming communication;

determining that the second incoming communication is restricted based on information other than identification information related to an outside party originating the incoming communication.

8. An incoming communication restriction system, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors and/or circuits configured to;

route an incoming communication from a party external to a facility to a resident communication device, wherein the incoming communication includes routing information directing the incoming communication to a resident of the facility;

monitor the content of the incoming communication; and

update a shared database communicatively coupled to a previously installed outgoing communication restriction system with the content of the incoming communication.

9. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to retrieve information from the shared database to route the incoming communication.

10. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are configured to monitor the content in response to detecting a three-way call.

11. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are configured to monitor the content in response to detecting a number of faces party to the incoming communication being greater than a predetermined threshold.

12. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are configured to monitor the content in response to detecting that the party external to the facility is unregistered.

13. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 8, wherein the shared database includes incoming communication rules stored by the incoming communication restriction system and outgoing communication rules stored by the previously installed outgoing communication restriction system.

14. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 13, wherein the incoming communication rules between the resident of the facility and the party external to the facility differ from the outgoing communication rules related to the resident of the facility and the party external to the facility.

15. An incoming communication restriction system, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors and/or circuits configured to;

receive an incoming communication from a party external to a facility to a resident of the facility;

identify a resident communication device using routing data managed by a previously installed outgoing communication system;

transmit a notification to the resident communication device alerting the resident of the incoming communication, wherein the notification includes instructions requesting authorization from the resident communication device to accept the incoming communication; and

route the incoming communication to the resident communication device in response to receiving authorization from the resident communication device.

16. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 15, wherein the authorization includes biometric authentication information related to the resident.

17. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 15, wherein the authorization includes a voice sample from the resident.

18. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 15, wherein the authorization includes acceptance of a deduction in balance of a resident account.

19. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:

receive a second incoming communication from a second party external to the facility to a second resident of the facility;

transmit a second notification to a second resident communication device alerting the second resident of the second incoming communication, wherein the second notification includes instructions requesting authorization from the second resident communication device to accept the second incoming communication; and

blocking the second incoming communication in response to receiving a rejection from the second resident communication device.

20. The incoming communication restriction system of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:

block future incoming communications from the second party.