TELEPHONE WITH RFID MONITORING AND CONTROL

• US 20080304640A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATN Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ATN Incorporated
• Inventors: Reilly, Gordon
• Application Number:
  US11/759,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/111
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges

Abstract

An RFID telephone system that includes an RFID reader that reads RFID tags contained on wristbands worn by inmates. The system uses the RFID reader to monitor and control telephone calls conducted over the inmate telephone, including the creation of records associating each telephone call with a particular inmate identifier read from an RFID tag in connection with the telephone call. The RFID reader obtains an authorized inmate identifier read from an RFID tag placed in close proximity to the inmate telephone and enters the inmate identifier in a record that associated that inmate identifier with the telephone call. The RFID telephone system inserts the personal identifiers read from RFID tags into the CLID field of a calling directory number service, and may also include a local call monitoring system that stores the personal identifiers in association with audio recordings of the telephone calls.

Claims

1. A telephone system for associating persons with telephone calls, comprising:

an RFID tag storing a personal identifier assigned to a person;

an attachment device for affixing the RFID tag to be carried by the person;

a computer memory operable for storing a record associating the personal identifier with the person to whom the personal identifier has been assigned;

a telephone interconnected with a telecommunications network operable for conducting telephonic conversations;

an RFID reader operable for reading the personal identifier from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is located in close proximity to the telephone; and

a controller operable for associating the personal identifier read by the RFID reader with a telephone call conducted over the telephone.

2. The RFID telephone system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable for:

maintaining the telephone in an inoperable condition prior to receiving a valid personal identifier read by the RFID reader;

activating the RFID reader in response to detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone,

determining whether a valid personal identifier has been read by the RFID reader after the off-hook condition; and

activating the telephone the telephone call upon determining that a valid personal identifier has been read by the RFID reader after the off-hook condition.

3. The RFID telephone system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further operable for periodically activating the RFID reader during the telephone call, and disconnecting the telephone call upon determining that a valid personal identifier has not been read by the RFID reader during the telephone call.

4. The RFID telephone system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable for associating the personal identifier with the telephone call by inserting the personal identifier into a caller ID field defined by a calling number delivery feature associated with telecommunications service provided to the telephone prior to connection of the telephone call.

5. The RFID telephone system of claim 4, wherein the telecommunications service provided to the telephone comprises creation of a call detail record storing the personal identifier entered into the caller ID field in connection with parameters associated with the telephone call including a date, time and destination directory number associated with the telephone call.

6. The RFID telephone system of claim 1, further comprising a telephone call monitoring system operable for recording the telephone call and storing the personal identifier in connection with the recording of the telephone call.

7. The RFID telephone system of claim 1, configured for creating multiple records associating the personal identifier with the telephone call, wherein the controller is operable for the personal identifier into a caller ID field defined by a calling number delivery feature associated with telecommunications service provided to the telephone prior to connection of the telephone call, further comprising a telephone call monitoring system operable for recording the telephone call and storing the personal identifier in connection with the recording of the telephone call.

8. The RFID telephone system of claim 1, further comprising an RFID writer operable for writing the personal identifier to the RFID tag.

9. The RFID telephone system of claim 1, wherein the attachment device comprises a wristband.

10. A method for associating persons with telephone calls, comprising the steps of:

associating a personal identifier with a person;

writing the personal identifier to an RFID tag;

affixing the RFID tag to be carried by the person;

providing a telephone interconnected with a telecommunications network operable for conducting telephonic conversations;

providing an RFID reader operable for reading the personal identifier from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is located in close proximity to the telephone;

maintaining the telephone in an inoperable condition prior to receiving a valid personal identifier read by the RFID reader;

activating the RFID reader in response to detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone, reading the personal identifier personal identifier from the RFID tag;

verifying that the personal identifier is a valid personal identifier;

activating the telephone for use in response to determining that the personal identifier is a valid personal identifier;

connecting a telephone call through the telephone; and

associating the telephone call with the personal identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of periodically activating the RFID reader during the telephone call, and disconnecting the telephone call upon determining that a valid personal identifier has not been read by the RFID reader during the telephone call.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of associating the telephone call with the personal identifier comprises the step of inserting the personal identifier into a caller ID field defined by a calling number delivery feature associated with telecommunications service provided to the telephone prior to connection of the telephone call.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of creating a call detail record storing the personal identifier entered into the caller ID field in connection with parameters associated with the telephone call including a date, time and destination directory number.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of recording the telephone call and storing the personal identifier in connection with the recording of the associated telephone call.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of affixing the RFID tag to be carried by the person comprises the step of affixing a wristband carrying the RFID tag around a wrist of the person.

16. A system for associating persons with telephone calls, comprising:

a telecommunications switch operative for providing telecommunications services including connecting telephone calls, receiving caller ID designations in connection with the telephone calls, and creating call detail records associated with the telephone calls comprising the caller ID designations and parameters associated with the telephone calls including dates, times and destination directory numbers associated with the telephone calls;

a telephone operative for originating telephone calls through the telecommunications switch and transmitting caller ID designations to the switch in association with the telephone calls by including the caller ID designations in a caller ID field defined by the telecommunications service;

an RFID tag comprising a personal identifier assigned to a person;

an RFID reader operable for reading the personal identifier from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is located in close proximity to the telephone; and

a controller operative for inserting the personal identifier into the caller ID field and activating the telephone for a telephone call so that the personal identifier becomes recorded as the caller ID designation in the call detail record created by the telecommunications switch for the telephone call.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an RFID writer operable for writing the personal identifier to the RFID tag.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a telephone call monitoring system operable for recording the telephone call and storing the personal identifier in association with the recording of the telephone call.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further operable for:

maintaining the telephone in an inoperable condition prior to receiving a valid personal identifier read by the RFID reader;

activating the RFID reader in response to detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone, and

determining whether a valid personal identifier has been read by the RFID reader after the off-hook condition; and

activating the telephone the telephone call upon determining that a valid personal identifier has been read by the RFID reader after the off-hook condition.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising an attachment device for affixing the RFID tag to be carried by the person.