Information dissemination systems and methods for use in a controlled environment facility
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a notification controller, notification of a pending message for a resident of a controlled-environment facility;
determining, by the notification controller, an appropriate one of a plurality of different communication devices to use for notifying the resident of the pending message; and
directing, by the notification controller, notification of the pending message to the determined appropriate communication device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments are provided for managing notification of residents of a controlled-environment facility of pending messages awaiting retrieval by such residents. In one embodiment, a messaging system is provided in which a party external to the controlled-environment facility may record a message intended for a resident of the controlled-environment facility. A notification controller receives notification of the pending message for the resident and determines an appropriate communication device to use for notifying the resident of the pending message. In certain embodiments, a wireless location tracking system, such as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, is employed to determine a communication device that is in the vicinity of the resident, wherein the notification controller directs notification of the pending message to the determined communication device.
34 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a notification controller, notification of a pending message for a resident of a controlled-environment facility; determining, by the notification controller, an appropriate one of a plurality of different communication devices to use for notifying the resident of the pending message; and directing, by the notification controller, notification of the pending message to the determined appropriate communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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associating a wireless transmitter with a resident of a controlled-environment facility, wherein said wireless transmitter transmits information identifying the resident; associating with each of a plurality of communication devices a respective wireless receiver that is operable to receive transmitted information from the wireless transmitter when the wireless transmitter is in vicinity thereof; receiving, into a messaging system, a message for the resident; receiving, at a notification controller, notification of the message; determining, based at least in part on the wireless receivers, one of the plurality of communication devices that is in vicinity of the resident; and directing, by said notification controller, notification of the message to the determined one of the plurality of communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system comprising:
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a plurality of communication devices within a controlled-environment facility, each of the plurality of communication devices having a respective wireless receiver associated therewith; a wireless transmitter associated with a resident of the controlled-environment facility, the wireless transmitter operable to transmit identification of the resident with whom it is associated; a messaging system operable to receive a message for the resident; and a notification controller operable to determine that the message for the resident is received by the messaging system, determine, based at least in part on the wireless receivers, one of the plurality of communication devices that the resident is nearest, and direct notification of the message for the resident to the determined one of the plurality of communication devices that the resident is nearest. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system comprising:
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a message board that is operable to output textual messages to residents of a controlled-environment facility; a messaging system operable to receive a message for a resident of the controlled-environment facility; and a notification controller operable to determine that the message for the resident is received by the messaging system, and direct notification of the message for the resident to the message board. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A system comprising:
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a plurality of communication devices within a controlled-environment facility; a messaging system operable to; a) receive a message from a party outside the controlled-environment facility for a resident of the controlled-environment facility, and b) receive a message from the resident of the controlled-environment facility for the party outside the controlled-environment facility; and an information dissemination manager operable to; a) manage notification of the resident of a pending message for the resident in the messaging system, including selecting one of the plurality of communication devices to which to direct notification of the pending message for the resident, and b) manage notification of the party outside the controlled-environment facility of a pending message for the party in the messaging system.
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Specification