Message exchange

• US 10,218,842 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen, Woody, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US14/626,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/04 Recording calls , or communications in printed, perforated or other permanent form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• 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 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

Disclosed is a voice message exchange system and method for improving communication between an inmate and a third party by enabling the inmate to leave a message when a call is not answered and further allowing the third party who receives the message to reply with a message to the inmate. Additionally, outside parties that meet the institution'"'"'s requirements can leave messages for inmates at any time. The present invention can be used as an add-on to legacy inmate call management systems or incorporated internally into an inmate call management system. The system also provides monitoring, controlling, recording, and billing means.

Claims

1. A centralized calling platform that provides telecommunication and message services for a correctional facility, the platform comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor and/or circuit coupled to the memory, the at least one processor and/or circuit configured to;

receive a phone call from a registered user designated for a destination phone number;

attempt to connect the phone call to a destination user associated with the destination phone number;

receive a message from the registered user after the connection attempt has failed;

record the received message;

attempt to contact the destination user at the destination phone number at periodic intervals until either a first predetermined event or a second predetermined event;

in response to an occurrence of the first predetermined event, authenticate the destination user and deliver the recorded message to the destination user after the user has been successfully authenticated;

in response to an occurrence of the second predetermined event, store the recorded message in the memory; and

generate a message notification for the inmate only after the content check has passed.

2. The centralized calling platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to:

receive a unique access identifier from the registered user; and

authenticate the registered user based on the unique access identifier.

3. The centralized calling platform of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to verify that the registered user is permitted to contact the destination user based on the unique access identifier.

4. The centralized calling platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to bill an account associated with the registered user after the message is delivered to the destination user.

5. The centralized calling platform of claim 1,

wherein the message is an audio message, and

wherein the delivery of the message includes playing back the message.

6. The centralized calling platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to store a number of contact attempts in the memory,

wherein the second predetermined event is the number of contact attempts being equal to a maximum number of contact attempts.

7. The centralized calling platform of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to delete the message after occurrence of the second predetermined event.

8. The centralized calling platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to, in the event of a successful contact attempt, prompt the destination user to accept the message.

9. The centralized calling platform of claim 8, wherein the message is delivered only after the destination user has accepted the message.

10. The centralized calling platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to connect the registered user with the destination user after the connection attempt has succeeded.

11. A centralized calling platform for providing call processing functionality and message services for a plurality of correctional facilities, the centralized call platform comprising:

a memory that stores a message provided by an external user location outside of the plurality of correctional facilities, the message being designated for an inmate located at one of the correctional facilities;

at least one processor and/or circuit coupled to the memory, the at least one processor and/or circuit configured to;

receive an access attempt from the external user;

authenticate the external user in response to the access attempt;

receive the message from the external user after successfully authenticating the external user;

store the message from the external user in the memory together with an identification of the inmate; and

perform a content check of the message to detect restricted language, the content check detecting whether the message includes restricted content;

attempt to contact the inmate in response to the content check verifying that the message does not contain restricted language; and

forward the message to an administrator in response to the content check failing.

12. The centralized calling platform of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to:

determine whether the external user has an account registered with the centralized calling platform;

prompt the external user to register an account after determining that the external user does not have a registered account.

13. The centralized calling platform of claim 12, wherein the prompting includes performing an account registration procedure over the phone.

14. The centralized calling platform of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to:

determine whether the account registration procedure was successful; and

repeat the call registration procedure a predetermined number of times or until the determining determines that the account registration was successful.

15. The centralized calling platform of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to:

retrieve a previously-stored message generated by a user at one of the plurality of correctional facilities that is designated for the external user; and

deliver the message to the external user.

16. The centralized calling platform of claim 11, wherein the previously-stored message is an audio message, and

wherein the delivering includes playing back the message.

17. The centralized calling platform of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor and/or circuit are further configured to generate a message notification for the inmate user after receiving the message from the external user.