CENTRALIZED CALL PROCESSING

• US 20110110276A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Rae, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid 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 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods which provide a centralized architecture for call processing. Embodiments utilize voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to carry calls from a location at which calling services are provided to a centralized call processing platform providing call processing functionality, such as calling party identification, call validation, call routing, and connection to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Call processing gateways may be utilized to provide plain old telephone service (POTS) analog line interfaces for use with a plurality of telephone sets disposed for use at a location and at least one wide area network (WAN) interface for providing high speed data communication to a centralized call processing platform. PSTN interfacing by a call processing platform may be provided as a VoIP connection to the PSTN and/or as POTS trunking Call processing platforms may provide for data sharing, aggregation, and/or analysis across multiple facilities served.

Claims

1. A centralized call processing system, comprising:

a networking device connected to a plurality of call processing gateways, each call processing gateway installed at a prison facility located remote from the centralized call processing system, the networking device configured to;

receive outgoing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) data packets from prison facilities; and

send incoming VoIP data packets to the prison facilities;

an unauthorized call activity detection system connected to the networking device for detecting three-way call activity associated with the outgoing VoIP data packets or the incoming VoIP data packets;

a call application management system connected to the networking device for processing the outgoing VoIP data packets for transmission to a telephone carrier network, the call application management system processing signals from the first telephone carrier network into the incoming VoIP data; and

a computing system connected to the call application management system for providing a function associated with the outgoing VoIP data packets or the incoming VoIP data packets other than detecting of the three-way call activity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises managing billing associated with calls made through the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises recording at least part of calls made through the system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the call application management system is configured to select calls to be recorded.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises validating calls made through the system for authorizing connecting of calls to the telephone carrier network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises managing information about inmates at the prison facilities.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises managing commissary orders placed by inmates at the prison facilities.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the function comprises communicating with a signaling network of the telephone carrier network to determine whether a call forwarding feature is activated for call numbers associated with calls made through the system.

9. A method for processing calls at a centralized call processing system, the method comprising:

receiving outgoing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) data packets from a plurality of prison facilities, the plurality of prison facilities located remotely from the call processing gateways;

sending incoming VoIP data packets to the prison facilities;

detecting three-way call activity associated with the outgoing VoIP data packets or the incoming VoIP data packets;

processing the outgoing VoIP data packets for transmission to a telephone carrier network;

processing signals from the first telephone carrier network into the incoming VoIP data; and

providing a function associated with the outgoing VoIP data packets or the incoming VoIP data packets other than detecting of the three-way call activity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the function comprises managing billing associated with calls made through the centralized call processing system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the function comprises recording at least part of calls made through the centralized call processing system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting calls to be recorded.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the function comprises validating calls made through the system for authorizing connecting of calls to the telephone carrier network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the function comprises managing information about inmates at the prison facilities.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the function comprises managing commissary orders placed by inmates at the prison facilities.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the function comprises communicating with a signaling network of the telephone carrier network to determine whether a call forwarding feature is activated for call numbers associated with calls made through the centralized call processing system.