Inmate telephones having inmate-movable telephone bodies

• US 20070041581A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frost, Harlie
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0297 Telephone sets adapted to be mounted on a desk or on a wall

Abstract

An inmate telephone for use by inmates of a prison or a mental institution comprises a housing having an opening and a telephone body supported within the housing. The telephone body supports an earpiece and a mouthpiece. The telephone body may have an inmate-adjustable portion that extends out of the opening and is movable to an inmate-adjustable position. The telephone body may have a generally spherical shape that is rotatable to an inmate-adjustable position relative to the housing. A height-adjustment mechanism may mount the telephone body to a wall of the prison or the mental institution to an inmate-adjustable height relative to the wall.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an inmate telephone for use by inmates of a prison or a mental institution, the inmate telephone comprising;

a housing having an opening; and

a telephone body supported within the housing, the telephone body having a generally spherical shape that is rotatable to an inmate-adjustable position relative to the housing, the telephone body supporting an earpiece and a mouthpiece that are exposed through the opening when the telephone body is rotated to at least one first position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the telephone body supports the earpiece and the mouthpiece without an inmate-accessible cord.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inmate telephone is absent an inmate-accessible hook-switch button.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inmate telephone further comprises:

an activation circuit to place the inmate telephone in an off-hook state based on the telephone body being rotated to the at least one first position, the activation circuit to place the inmate telephone in an on-hook state based on the telephone body being rotated to at least one second position other than the at least one first position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one first position comprises a plurality of positions for which the inmate telephone is in the off-hook state.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one second position comprises a position for which the earpiece and the mouthpiece are unexposed through the opening.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one second position comprises a plurality of positions for which the inmate telephone is in the on-hook state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inmate telephone comprises a dialing interface supported by the telephone body.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted to a wall of the prison or the mental institution so that an orientation of the telephone body is inmate-adjustable relative to the wall.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an inmate telephone for use by inmates of a prison or a mental institution, the inmate telephone comprising;

a housing having an opening; and

a telephone body supported within the housing, the telephone body having an inmate-adjustable portion that extends out of the opening, the inmate-adjustable portion supporting an earpiece and a mouthpiece without an inmate-accessible cord, the inmate-adjustable portion being movable to an inmate-adjustable position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inmate telephone is absent an inmate-accessible hook-switch button.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inmate telephone further comprises:

an activation circuit to place the inmate telephone in an off-hook state based on the inmate-adjustable portion of the telephone body being moved to at least one first position, the activation circuit to place the inmate telephone in an on-hook state based on the inmate-adjustable portion of the telephone body being moved to at least one second position other than the at least one first position.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of cords that attach the telephone body to the housing and restrain movement of the telephone body relative to the housing, wherein none of the cords are inmate-accessible through the opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one first position comprises a position substantially fully extended out of the opening, and wherein the at least one second position comprises a position substantially minimally extended out of the opening.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inmate telephone comprises a dialing interface supported by the telephone body and exposed through the opening.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing is mounted to a wall of the prison or the mental institution so that the telephone body is movable relative to the wall.

17. An apparatus comprising:

an inmate telephone for use by inmates of a prison or a mental institution, the inmate telephone comprising;

a telephone body having an earpiece and a mouthpiece; and

a height-adjustment mechanism that mounts the telephone body to a wall of the prison or the mental institution to an inmate-adjustable height relative to the wall.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the height-adjustment mechanism comprises at least one shield that slides as the inmate-adjustable height of the telephone body is adjusted.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one shield shields an interior of the height adjustment mechanism throughout a full range of the inmate-adjustable height of the telephone body.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one shield shields an interior of the wall throughout a full range of the inmate-adjustable height of the telephone body.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one shield shields an interior of the inmate telephone throughout a full range of the inmate-adjustable height of the telephone body.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the height-adjustment mechanism comprises a sliding bar.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the inmate telephone comprises a dialing interface supported by the telephone body.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the telephone body supports the earpiece and the mouthpiece without an inmate-accessible cord.

25. An apparatus comprising:

an inmate telephone for use by inmates of a prison or a mental institution, the inmate telephone comprising;

a telephone body mounted to and protruding from a wall of the prison or the mental institution, the telephone body having a generally rounded shape, the telephone body having a surface that supports an earpiece and a mouthpiece without an inmate-accessible cord, the surface having a top portion that meets or nearly meets the wall, the surface being sloped relative to a vertical orientation.