Inbound calls to intelligent controlled-environment facility resident media and/or communications devices

• US 10,455,084 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Keiser, Luke, Passe, Scott, Balantrapu, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh Kien
• Application Number:
  US15/682,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 379 3201, 379 9302, 37910005, 37914205, 37920101, 37920102, 37920103, 37920107, 37920112, 37926501, 726 2, 726 4, 726 6
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8005 Flat-fee
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services

Abstract

Inbound call processing systems and methods for processing inbound calls to controlled-environment facility resident media and/or communications devices employ an inbound resident call server configured to host inbound calling accounts established by non-residents, receive inbound calls from the non-residents, route the inbound calls to an authenticating server, confirm that the resident device is active, and connect the inbound resident call system with the resident device if active or inform the non-resident the resident is not available if not. The inbound resident call server also connects the non-resident inbound call with the resident device if the non-resident is associated with the inbound calling account, the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of the resident device and the resident'"'"'s personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the resident device, all of which may be authenticated by the authenticating server.

Claims

1. An inbound call system for handling inbound calls to inmate media and/or communications devices, the system comprising:

one or more inmate media and/or communications devices, each having a hardcoded unique address identifier;

an inbound inmate call server configured to;

receive inbound calls to calls to inmate media and/or communications devices;

route the inbound calls to an authenticating server;

determine a called inmate media and/or communications device is online; and

direct inbound calls to the online inmate media and/or communications device; and

the authenticating server configured to;

authenticate that a calling party is associated with the hardcoded unique address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device the party is calling;

receive, via the called inmate media and/or communications device, identification information from an inmate operating the online inmate media and/or communications device; and

verify identification of the inmate operating the online inmate media and/or communications device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises, at least in part, a personal identification number entered via the inmate media and/or communications device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises, at least in part, biometric data and the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture the biometric data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the biometric data is the voice of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device and each inmate media and/or communications device is configured to accept entry of identification information by being spoken by the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device and the authenticating server is further configured to accept entry of the identification information using speech recognition and verify identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using voice recognition.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the biometric data is at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture data related to at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device during use of the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server, and the authenticating server is further configured to verify identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using fingerprint recognition and the data related to at least one fingerprint.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the biometric data is an image of the inmate using the inmate media and/or communications device, the inmate media and/or communications device further comprises a camera, the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture image data of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server, and the authenticating server is further configured to verify identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using facial recognition and the image data.

7. A method for processing inbound calls to inmate media and/or communications devices, the method comprising:

confirming, by an authenticating server, that an inbound calling party is associated with a unique hardcoded address identifier of an inmate media and/or communications device to which the call is directed;

verifying, by the authenticating server, that an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device is associated with the unique hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

connecting the inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device as a result of confirming that the inbound calling party is associated with the unique hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verifying that the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device is associated with the unique hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining the inmate media and/or communications device is online;

directing the inbound call to the online inmate media and/or communications device;

receiving, via the online inmate media and/or communications device, identification information from an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verifying identification of the inmate operating the online inmate media and/or communications device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, via the inmate media and/or communications device, identification information from an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verifying identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identification information comprises, at least in part, a personal identification number, and the method further comprises accepting entry of the personal identification number by the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identification information comprises, at least in part, biometric data, and the method further comprises capturing the biometric data by the inmate media and/or communications device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the biometric data is the voice of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, and the method further comprises verifying identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using voice recognition.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the biometric data is at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, the method further comprises:

capturing, by inmate media and/or communications device, data related to at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device during use of the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server; and

verifying identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using fingerprint recognition and the data related to at least one fingerprint.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the biometric data is an image of the inmate using the inmate media and/or communications device, the method further comprising:

capturing image data of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, using a camera of the inmate media and/or communications device, for receipt by the authenticating server; and

verifying identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using facial recognition and the image data.

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:

receive an inbound call to an inmate media and/or communications device;

confirm that the inbound calling party is associated with a unique hardcode address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device;

verify the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device as associated with the unique hardcode address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

connect the inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device as a result of authenticating that the inbound calling party is associated with the unique hardcode address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verifying that the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device is associated with the unique hardcode address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the program instructions stored thereon by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, further causes the one or more communications systems to:

determine the inmate media and/or communications device is online;

direct the inbound call to the online inmate media and/or communications device;

receive, via the online inmate media and/or communications device, identification information associated with the inmate operating the online inmate media and/or communications device; and

verify identification of the inmate operating online the inmate media and/or communications device using the identification information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the program instructions stored thereon by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, further causes the one or more communications systems to:

receive, via the inmate media and/or communications device, identification information from an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verifying identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the identification information comprises, at least in part, a personal identification number, and execution of the program instructions stored thereon by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, further causes the one or more communications systems to accept entry of the personal identification number by the inmate media and/or communications device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the program instructions stored thereon by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, further causes the one or more communications systems to:

receive, via the inmate media and/or communications device, identification information associated with the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verify identification of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using the identification information.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the identification information comprises, at least in part, biometric data, and execution of the program instructions stored thereon by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, further causes the one or more communications systems to capture the biometric data by the inmate media and/or communications device.