SECURE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130263227A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelmate LLC
• Original Assignee: Telmate LLC (Global Tel-Link Corporation)
• Inventors: Gongaware, Grant, Torgersrud, Richard, Garcia, Nicolas, Sheerin, Peter Kelley
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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 3/4228 in networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining whether a communication session is authorized are provided. In some aspects, a method includes initiating a communication session between a first user and a second user, and obtaining an identity attribute associated with a third user engaged in the communication session. The method also includes determining whether the third user is the first user, the second user, or an unauthorized user based on the obtained identity attribute. The method also includes determining whether the communication session is authorized based on whether the third user is determined to be the first user, the second user, or the unauthorized user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining whether a communication session is authorized, the method comprising:

initiating a communication session between a first user and a second user;

obtaining an identity attribute associated with a third user engaged in the communication session;

determining whether the third user is the first user, the second user, or an unauthorized user based on the obtained identity attribute; and

determining whether the communication session is authorized based on whether the third user is determined to be the first user, the second user, or the unauthorized user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the communication session comprises allowing the first user and the second user to engage in the communication session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises at least one of a telephone session, a video conferencing session, a social networking session, and an instant messaging session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity attribute comprises at least one of a voiceprint, a handprint, a fingerprint, a behavioral pattern, a speech pattern, a language, a voice volume, a personal identification number, an image, a marking, a background object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the background object comprises sound.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity attribute comprises a multimedia chunk of the communication session, and wherein the multimedia chunk comprises at least one of an audio, an image, and a video of the communication session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia chunk excludes silence.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia chunk comprises activity of a single human.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the human activity includes human voice.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia chunk is at least 3 seconds long and at most 45 seconds long.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity attribute comprises at least one of an audio and a video, and wherein the communication session comprises at least one of an instant messaging session and a social networking session.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session occurs over a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first user is associated with the first channel, wherein the second user is associated with the second channel, and wherein determining whether the third user is the first user, the second user, or the unauthorized user comprises:

determining which of the first and second channels the obtained identity attribute is associated with; and

determining that the third user is not the first user or the second user associated with the other of the determined first and second channels that the obtained identity attribute is associated with.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third user is determined not to be the second user, and wherein determining whether the third user is the first user or the unauthorized user comprises:

comparing the obtained identity attribute to a stored identity attribute of the first user; and

determining, based on the comparison, whether a difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the first user is greater than or equal to a first threshold,

wherein the third user is determined to be the first user if the difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the first user is less than the first threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, if the difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the first user is greater than or equal to the first threshold, determining whether the third user is the first user or the unauthorized user comprises:

determining whether the obtained identity attribute is a variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user,

wherein the third user is determined to be the first user if the obtained identity attribute is determined to be the variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether the obtained identity attribute is the variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user comprises:

flagging the obtained identity attribute for review by an investigator; and

receiving verification from the investigator that the flagged obtained identity attribute is or is not the variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user,

wherein the obtained identity attribute is determined to be the variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user if the verification indicates that the flagged obtained identity attribute is the variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, if the obtained identity attribute is determined not to be the variant of the stored identity attribute of the first user, determining whether the third user is the first user or the unauthorized user comprises:

comparing the obtained identity attribute to a stored identity attribute of a fourth user at a first location, the fourth user being unauthorized to engage in the communication session; and

determining, based on the comparison of the obtained identity attribute to the stored identity attribute of the fourth user, whether a difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the fourth user is greater than or equal to a second threshold,

wherein the third user is determined to be the unauthorized user if the difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the fourth user is less than the second threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first user and the fourth user are registered at the first location.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, if the difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the fourth user is greater than or equal to the second threshold, determining whether the third user is the first user or the unauthorized user comprises:

comparing the obtained identity attribute to a stored identity attribute of a fifth user at a second location, the fifth user being unauthorized to engage in the communication session, the second location being different from the first location; and

determining, based on the comparison of the obtained identity attribute to the stored identity attribute of the fifth user, whether a difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the fifth user is greater than or equal to a third threshold,

wherein the third user is determined to be the unauthorized user if the difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the fifth user is less than the third threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, if the difference between the obtained identity attribute and the stored identity attribute of the fifth user is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the method further comprises generating a new profile for the third user.

20. An apparatus comprising:

memory comprising instructions for determining whether a communication session between a first user and a second user is authorized; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

initiate the communication session;

obtain an identity attribute associated with a third user engaged in the communication session;

determine whether the third user is the first user, the second user, or an unauthorized user based on the obtained identity attribute; and

determine whether the communication session is authorized based on whether the third user is determined to be the first user, the second user, or the unauthorized user.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the communication session is determined to be unauthorized if the third user is identified as the unauthorized user.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first user and the second user are authorized to engage in the communication session, wherein either the first user or the second user is a first inmate, and wherein the unauthorized user comprises at least one of a second inmate different from the first inmate, a guard, a correctional officer, a staff member of a detention environment, a jury member, a judge, and a former inmate.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

allow the communication session to continue if the communication session is determined to be unauthorized; and

surreptitiously record the allowed communication session.

24. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions for a method of determining whether a communication session is authorized, the method comprising:

initiating a communication session between a first user and a second user;

obtaining an identity attribute associated with a third user engaged in the communication session;

determining whether the third user is the first user, the second user, or an unauthorized user based on the obtained identity attribute; and

determining whether the communication session is authorized based on whether the third user is determined to be the first user, the second user, or the unauthorized user.

25. A computer-implemented method for determining identity attribute variations of a user, the method comprising:

obtaining an identity attribute of a first user;

comparing the identity attribute of the first user to a stored identity attribute of an authorized user who is authorized to engage in a communication session;

if the identity attribute of the first user matches the identity attribute of the authorized user, determining that the first user is authorized to engage in the communication session; and

if the identity attribute of the first user does not match the identity attribute of the authorized user;

flagging the identity attribute of the first user for review by an investigator;

receiving verification from the investigator that the flagged identity attribute of the first user is or is not a variant of the identity attribute of the authorized user; and

determining that the identity attribute of the first user is the variant of the identity attribute of the authorized user if the verification indicates that the flagged identity attribute of the first user is the variant.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the identity attribute of the first user is determined to be the variant of the identity attribute of the authorized user, wherein the identity attribute of the authorized user comprises a first voiceprint, and wherein the variant comprises a second voiceprint.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein an aspect of the second voiceprint is different from an aspect of the first voiceprint, and wherein the aspect of the second voice print and the aspect of the first voiceprint each comprises at least one of a volume, a language, and a speech pattern.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining that the identity attribute of the first user is not the variant of the identity attribute of the authorized user if the verification indicates that the flagged identity attribute of the first user is not the variant.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating a new profile for the first user if the identity attribute of the first user is determined not to be the variant of the identity attribute of the authorized user.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the identity attribute of the first user matches the identity attribute of the authorized user if a difference between the identity attribute of the first user and the identity attribute of the authorized user is less than a threshold.

31. A computer-implemented method for identifying users, the method comprising:

obtaining an identity attribute of a first user, the identity attribute of the first user comprising a first behavior;

comparing the identity attribute of the first user to a stored identity attribute of a second user, the identity attribute of the second user comprising a second behavior; and

determining whether the first user is the second user based on the comparison.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the identity attribute of the first user is obtained from a first detention environment, and wherein the identity attribute of the second user is obtained from a second detention environment different from the first detention environment.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the first user is determined to be the second user if the identity attribute of the first user matches the identity attribute of the second user.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the first behavior comprises at least one of a first communication with a first contact, a first use of funds, a first web browsing activity, a first game selection, and a first multimedia selection, and wherein the second behavior comprises at least one of a second communication with a second contact, a second use of funds, a second web browsing activity, a second game selection, and a second multimedia selection.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first user is determined to be the second user if the identity attribute of the first user matches the identity attribute of the second user, and wherein the identity attribute of the first user matches the identity attribute of the second user if at least one of the following occurs:

the first contact matches the second contact, the first use of funds matches the second use of funds, the first web browsing activity matches the second browsing activity, the first game selection matches the second game selection, and the first multimedia selection matches the second multimedia selection.

36. A computer-implemented method for enhancing facial recognition accuracy, the method comprising:

initiating, by a first device comprising a camera, an interactive session with a first user;

surreptitiously directing the first user to engage in one or more activities in front of the camera such that the first user is positioned at a plurality of different angles relative to the camera;

capturing, with the camera, a plurality of images of the first user when the first user is positioned at the plurality of different angles; and

using the plurality of images to perform facial recognition of the first user.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first device comprises a display screen, and wherein the surreptitiously directing the first user comprises at least one of:

arranging a first interactive object to be on an edge of the display screen;

arranging a second interactive object and a third interactive object to be on different sides of the display screen;

sizing a fourth interactive object to be less than a predetermined percentage of the display screen, the predetermined percentage being less than five percent;

moving a fifth interactive object across the display screen;

requesting the first user to interact with a sixth interactive object on the display screen for calibration; and

requesting the first user to interact with a body of the first device.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the surreptitiously directing the first user comprises generating, by a second device different from the first device, an attention event to obtain the first user'"'"'s attention.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the second device is in the same building as the first device.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the attention event comprises at least one of an audio playback by the second device, an image playback by the second device, a video playback by the second device, a light emission by the second device, and a movement by the second device.