Personalized devices for out-bound and in-bound inmate calling and communication

• US 10,237,404 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Confinement Telephony Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Confinement Telephony Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Way, Zachary Alan, Pabon, Timothy Edwin, Thomasson, Todd Russell, Lubbehusen, Rick Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh Kien
• Application Number:
  US15/791,698
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 379 9101, 379 9102, 379 9301, 379 9302, 379 9303, 379 9309, 379 9317, 379 9323, 37914205, 37914206, 37914217, 37920711, 37920712, 37920713, 37920715, 37921002, 37921102, 37911201, 37914207, 379184, 379188, 379194, 37920107, 37920108
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/10 Metering calls from calling party , i.e. A-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/39 Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/887 limit per user or user related number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6081 Service authorization mechanisms
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and techniques are disclosed for establishing inbound calls and outbound calls involving inmates and outside parties. One exemplary technique receives input identifying authorized sources who are authorized to initiate and conduct calls with an inmate and stores a list of the authorized sources. The list, for example, can include telephone numbers, VOIP caller identifiers, and/or call privileges associated with the sources. The technique receives an inbound call directed to the inmate and determines whether the source of the inbound call is authorized or not, for example, by comparing information about the source with information in the list of authorized sources and/or based on the call privileges. If the source is authorized, the call is permitted. If not the technique routes the call to a payment interface for the caller to provide payment information.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a computing device, for establishing calls between an inmate and an outside party, the method comprising:

maintaining shared device use information identifying which of multiple shared devices individual inmates are logged into, wherein each of the multiple shared devices are configured to log in individual inmates based on login credentials to provide personalized services;

determining that the inmate is logged into a first shared device of the multiple shared devices based on the shared device use information, wherein determining that the inmate is logged into the first shared device occurs when the inmate opens a particular app or accesses a particular feature provided by the first shared device;

providing personalized information of the inmate to the first shared device based on determining that the inmate is logged into the first shared device;

receiving an inbound call directed to the inmate; and

directing the inbound call to the first shared device based on determining that the inmate is logged into the first device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the inbound call was not answered at the first shared device; and

routing the call to a messaging device to receive a message for the inmate.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying a notification of the message on a messaging board.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the messaging board identifies which of the inmates have new messages from inbound calls.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the messaging board identifies called inmates who are currently receiving inbound calls that can be answered by each called inmate logging into one of the multiple devices.

6. A method, performed by a computing device, for establishing calls between an inmate and an outside party, the method comprising:

maintaining shared device use information identifying which of multiple shared devices individual inmates are logged into, wherein each of the multiple shared devices are configured to log in individual inmates based on login credentials to provide personalized services;

receiving an inbound call directed to the inmate;

providing a notification that the inbound call is being received for the inmate and indicating that the inmate must login to one of the multiple shared devices to answer the inbound call, wherein the notification indicates that the inmate has a threshold amount of time to login to one of the multiple shared devices and answer the inbound call.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining that the threshold amount of time has expired; and

based on the threshold amount of time having expired, updating the notification to indicate that the call was missed.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining that the threshold amount of time has expired; and

based on the threshold amount of time having expired, updating the notification to indicate that the call was missed and a time the call was received.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining that the inmate has logged into a first shared device of the multiple shared devices based on the shared device use information; and

directing the inbound call to the first shared device based on determining that the inmate is logged into the first device.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising updating the notification to indicate that the call was missed and that the caller left a message.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification is displayed on a television or monitor provided in a common area of an institution.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a sound indicating that the inbound call is being received.

13. The method claim 11 further comprising providing a sound indicating that a device has become available.

14. The method claim 11 further comprising providing a sound indicating that information displayed on the television or monitor provided in the common area has been changed.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the television or monitor comprises:

a tablet sign-out section identifying which of the multiple shared devices are signed out, which inmate has currently signed out each of the multiple shared devices, and each inmates time remaining on each of the multiple shared devices.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tablet sign-out section identifies inmates whose time to use a checked-out device has expired.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the television or monitor comprises:

a tablet wait list section identifying inmates who are waiting to use one of the multiple shared devices.