Inbound calls to intelligent controlled-environment facility resident media and/or communications devices
First Claim
1. An inbound call system providing sponsors of inmate media and/or communications devices priority inbound calling, the system comprising:
- one or more sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices, each having a unique address identifier;
an inbound inmate call server configured to;
host inbound calling accounts established by non-inmates, including inbound calling accounts of non-inmate sponsors of sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices;
associate the address identifier of each sponsored inmate media and/or communications device with a particular non-inmate sponsor;
receive inbound calls to sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices;
route the inbound calls to an authenticating server;
the authenticating server configured to;
authenticate that a calling party is associated with the address identifier of an inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling;
determine that the calling party is a sponsor of the inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; and
the inbound inmate call server further configured to;
interrupt an ongoing call, and/or other activity, taking place on the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; and
connect the inbound call of the party with the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Inbound call system and method implementations that provide sponsors of resident media and/or communications devices priority inbound calling host inbound calling accounts established by non-residents sponsors of sponsored resident devices. A unique address identifier (AID) of each sponsored resident device is associated with a particular non-resident sponsor (and a particular resident). Inbound calls to sponsored resident media and/or communications devices are received, the calling party is authenticated as associated with an AID of the called resident device the party is calling, and it is determined whether the calling party is a sponsor of the called resident device. If so, any ongoing call, and/or other activity, taking place on the sponsored resident device is interrupted and the non-resident inbound call is connected with the sponsored resident device.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An inbound call system providing sponsors of inmate media and/or communications devices priority inbound calling, the system comprising:
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one or more sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices, each having a unique address identifier; an inbound inmate call server configured to; host inbound calling accounts established by non-inmates, including inbound calling accounts of non-inmate sponsors of sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices; associate the address identifier of each sponsored inmate media and/or communications device with a particular non-inmate sponsor; receive inbound calls to sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices; route the inbound calls to an authenticating server; the authenticating server configured to; authenticate that a calling party is associated with the address identifier of an inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; determine that the calling party is a sponsor of the inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; and the inbound inmate call server further configured to; interrupt an ongoing call, and/or other activity, taking place on the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; and connect the inbound call of the party with the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for providing sponsors of inmate media and/or communications devices priority inbound calling, the method comprising:
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hosting, by an inbound inmate call server, inbound calling accounts established by non-inmates, including inbound calling accounts of non-inmate sponsors of sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices; associating, by the inbound inmate call server, a unique address identifier of each sponsored inmate media and/or communications device with a particular non-inmate sponsor; receiving, by the inbound inmate call server, inbound calls to sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices; routing, by the inbound inmate call server, the inbound calls to an authenticating server; authenticating, by the authenticating server, that a calling party is associated with an address identifier of an inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; determining, by the authenticating server, that the calling party is a sponsor of the inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; interrupting, by the inbound inmate call server, an ongoing call, and/or other activity, taking place on the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device; and connecting, by the inbound inmate call server, the inbound call of the calling party with the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20)
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15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, cause the one or more communications systems to:
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host inbound calling accounts established by non-inmates, including inbound calling accounts of non-inmate sponsors of sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices; associate a unique address identifier of each sponsored inmate media and/or communications device with a particular non-inmate sponsor; receive inbound calls to sponsored inmate media and/or communications devices; authenticate that a calling party is associated with an address identifier of an inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; determine that the calling party is a sponsor of the inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling; interrupt an ongoing call, and/or other activity, taking place on the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device; and connect the call of the calling party with the sponsored inmate media and/or communications device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 21)
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Specification