Unauthorized call activity detection and prevention systems and methods for a voice over internet protocol environment

• US 20070242658A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Evercom Systems Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Rae, Robert, Polozola, Michelle, Hogg, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Embodiments connect a call in which at least one party is a VoIP call party and monitoring resulting VoIP signals for unauthorized call activity, such as three-way call activity. The monitoring may include monitoring the call for suspend and/or resume events to detect the unauthorized call activity, the suspend and resume events may be generated by a telephone system and passed into a VoIP system associated with the VoIP call party. The monitoring may be carried out by an agent disposed between a VoIP gateway and the VoIP call party or by the VoIP gateway itself.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a call in which at least one party is a VoIP call party; and

monitoring resulting VoIP signals for unauthorized call activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring said call for suspend events to detect said unauthorized call activity, said suspend events generated by a telephone system and passed into a VoIP system associated with said VoIP call party.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said suspend events are generated by a conventional telephone system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said suspend events are PSTN out-of-band signaling.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said out-of-band signaling is SS7 signaling.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring for resume events.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said unauthorized call activity is three-way call activity.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring is carried out by an agent disposed between said gateway and said VoIP call party.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring is carried out by a VoIP gateway connecting said call.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said unauthorized call activity is an out-of-band VoIP three-way calling invitation signal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said suspend events are out-of-band signaling translated into out-of-band signaling in a SIP environment by a VoIP gateway.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said out-of-band signaling is voice activation detection activation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said monitoring comprises treating periods of said voice activation detection signaling as the equivalence of silence.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring further comprises deducing a three-way call invitation from out-of-band voice activation detection signaling persisting for a predetermined time frame.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein said suspend events are in-band signaling.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said in-band signaling is voice activation detection idle noise.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said in-band signaling is real-time transport protocol signaling.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said in-band signaling is the transmission of sound in a PSTN environment passing through said VoIP gateway and said suspend events are non-existence of sound data in a real time protocol stream produced by said VoIP gateway.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring further comprises deducing a three-way call invitation from in-band voice activation detection idle noise persisting for a predetermined time frame.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said call is between a conventional telephone system-based call party and a VoIP call.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising acting on a detected attempt to initiate unauthorized call activity.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said acting comprises at least one of flagging the call for investigation at, intervening at to warn the parties to not participate in unauthorized call activity, disconnecting the call, monitoring the call for investigative purposes, and alerting authorities.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said connecting further comprises setting up a VoIP call between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and an outside third party, said setting up comprising disallowing initiation of a three-way call by either party during said call.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a propensity of a call party to take part in unauthorized call activity.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said determining comprises, at least in part, consideration of at least one of past attempts by at least one of said parties to carry out unauthorized call activity, past attempts by at least one of said parties at fraud, at least one of said parties'"'"' call payment status, at least one of said parties'"'"' call billing activity, at least one of said parties'"'"' call payment history, at least one of said parties'"'"' calling activity, at least one of said parties'"'"' calling history, and the location at least one party is calling from.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising heightening a level of said monitoring in response to a determination of increased propensity by at least one of said call parties to take part in unauthorized call activity.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising heightening, in response to a determination of increased propensity by at least one of said call parties to take part in unauthorized call activity, a level of an action taken in response to a detected attempt to initiate unauthorized call activity.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing said unauthorized call activity.

29. A system comprising:

a VoIP gateway connecting a call party to a call; and

an agent monitoring VoIP call signals for unauthorized call activity.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent is disposed between said gateway and a VoIP-based call party.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent is disposed in said VoIP gateway.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein said unauthorized call activity is three-way call activity.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein said agent monitors said call for at least one of suspend and resume events to detect said unauthorized call activity.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein, said suspend and resume events are generated by a conventional telephone system and passed to said VoIP gateway.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein said suspend and resume events are PSTN out-of-band signaling.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said out-of-band signaling is SS7 signaling.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein said unauthorized call activity is an out-of-band VoIP three-way calling invitation signal.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein said out-of-band signaling is voice activation detection activation.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein said agent treats periods of said voice activation detection signaling as the equivalence of silence.

40. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent deduces a three-way call invitation from out-of-band voice activation detection signaling persisting for a predetermined time frame.

41. The system of claim 33 wherein said suspend and resume events are in-band signaling.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said in-band signaling is voice activation detection idle noise.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein said in-band signaling is a real-time transport protocol signal.

44. The system of claim 41 wherein said in-band signaling is the transmission of sound in a PSTN environment passing through said VoIP gateway and said suspend events are non-existence of sound data in a real time protocol stream produced by said VoIP gateway.

45. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent deduces a three-way call invitation from in-band voice activation detection idle noise persisting for a predetermined time frame.

46. The system of claim 29 wherein said gateway disallows initiation of unauthorized call activity by either party during a VoIP call between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and an outside third party.

47. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent monitors said a call to detect a sound of interest.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein said sound of interest is the voice of a third party.

49. The system of claim 47 wherein said sound of interest is at least one of a gunshot, a scream, outdoor sounds, DTMF, Recording tones, alarms and sirens.

50. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent monitors said a call for at least one of speech cadence, frequency, amplitude, phonetics, tonal combinations, and determines the number of voices taking part in said call, using data collected during the monitoring.

51. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent acts on detection of unauthorized call activity.

52. The system of claim 29, wherein said agent acts on said unauthorized call activity by taking at least one action of a category of actions, said category of actions consisting of flagging the call for investigation at, intervening at to warn the parties to not participate in unauthorized call activity, disconnecting the call, monitoring the call for investigative purposes, and alerting authorities.

53. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent also determines a propensity of a call party to take part in unauthorized call activity.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein said agent considers of at least one of past attempts by at least one of said parties to carry out unauthorized call activity, past attempts by at least one of said parties at fraud, at least one of said parties'"'"' call payment status, at least one of said parties'"'"' call billing activity, at least one of said parties'"'"' call payment history, at least one of said parties'"'"' calling activity, at least one of said parties'"'"' calling history, and the location at least one party is calling from in making the determination as to whether a call party has a propensity to take part in unauthorized call activity.

55. The system of claim 53 wherein said agent heightens a level of monitoring for calls in which at least one of the call parties is determined to have an increased propensity to take part in unauthorized call activity.

56. The system of claim 53 wherein said agent heightens a level of an action taken in response to a detected attempt to initiate unauthorized call activity, in response to a determination of increased propensity by at least one of said call parties to take part in unauthorized call activity.

57. The system of claim 29 wherein said agent allows said unauthorized call activity.

58. A method comprising:

setting up a VoIP call between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and an outside third party, said setting up comprising disallowing unauthorized call activity by either party during said call.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said unauthorized call activity comprises initiation of a three-way call.

60. The method of claim 58 further comprising:

monitoring VoIP signals of said call for an attempt to initiate unauthorized call activity.

61. The method of claim 60 further comprising:

acting on detected unauthorized call activity.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said acting comprises at least one of flagging the call for investigation at, intervening at to warn the parties to not participate in unauthorized call activity, disconnecting the call, monitoring the call for investigative purposes, and alerting authorities.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein said monitoring and at least a part of said acting is carried out by a VoIP gateway connecting said call.

64. A method comprising:

monitoring a call between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and an outside party to detect a sound of interest; and

acting upon a detected sound of interest.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein said acting comprises at least one of flagging the call for investigation at, intervening at to warn the parties to not participate in unauthorized call activity, disconnecting the call, monitoring the call for investigative purposes and alerting authorities.

66. The method of claim 64 wherein said monitoring is carried out at least in part by a VoIP gateway connecting said call.

67. The method of claim 64 wherein said sound of interest is the voice of a third party.

68. The method of claim 64 wherein said sound of interest is at least one of a gunshot, a scream, outdoor sounds, DTMF, Recording tones, alarms and sirens.

69. A method comprising:

monitoring a call between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and an outside party for at least one of speech cadence, frequency, amplitude, phonetics and tonal combinations; and

determining, using data collected during said monitoring, the number of voices taking part in said call.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising acting on a determination that a party other than said resident and said outside party are taking part in said call.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein said acting comprises at least one of flagging the call for investigation at, intervening at to warn the parties to not participate in unauthorized call activity, disconnecting the call, monitoring the call for investigative purposes, and alerting authorities.

72. The method of claim 69 wherein said monitoring is carried out at least in part by a VoIP gateway connecting said call.