APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO AND USE OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20170345248A1
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renovo Software, Inc. (Global Tel-Link Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Renovo Software, Inc. (Global Tel-Link Corporation)
• Inventors: PETERS, Brian, Eickhoff, Timothy J., Jarosek, Ehren R., Skaja, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 10,282,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/00 Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/005 for the hiring of content carriers, e.g. of DVDs or CDs reverse vending for box-like objects such as videocassettes G07F7/069
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Various prison services are rendered more efficient by providing inmates access to portable electronic devices in a controlled and regulated manner. A dispenser is employed to control and monitor the checking out and return of portable electronic devices and to communicate with such devices during use by inmates to monitor inmate use and ensure the portable electronic devices are only used by inmates as authorized.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device dispensing system comprising:

a controller including a processor and a memory; and

a storage compartment sized to receive a portable electronic device, the storage compartment including;

a first sensor;

a second sensor; and

a third sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the device is located within the compartment based on the first sensor, the second sensor, and third sensor.

2. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect a light characteristic within the compartment, the second sensor is configured to detect a weight of any objects located within the compartment, and the third sensor is a device identifier configured to read an identification of the portable electronic device.

3. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the device identifier is a bar code sensor configured to read a bar code tag attached to the portable electronic device.

4. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the device identifier is a radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor configured to read a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the portable electronic device.

5. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the device identifier is a wireless communicator configured to read a coded identification signal periodically transmitted via a wireless communicator of the portable electronic device.

6. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment further includes:

an access door movable between a closed position preventing access to the compartment and an open position permitting access to the compartment, the controller configured to control the access door;

an electronic lock for selectively locking the door when the door is in the closed position, the controller configured to control the electronic lock;

a door sensor for sensing the position of the door, the controller configured to read the door sensor.

7. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment further includes a battery charging device configured to charge a battery of the portable electronic device within the compartment.

8. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the battery charging device is configured to use a wired connection to charge the battery of the portable electronic device.

9. The portable electronic device dispensing system of claim 8, wherein the wired connection is further configured to transmit data between the controller and the portable electronic device

10. A system for managing distribution of portable electronic devices, the system comprising:

a portable electronic device dispensing unit configured to securely encase and selectively dispense a portable electronic device;

a database configured to store data related to a user and data related to the portable electronic device; and

a server communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device dispensing unit and the database, the server configured to monitor and control the portable electronic device dispensing unit to selectively dispense the portable electronic device based on the data related to a user and the data related to the portable electronic device stored in the database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data related to the user includes data identifying a time period including a start time and an end time during which the user is permitted to use the portable electronic device, and the server is further configured to control the portable electronic device dispensing unit to dispense the portable electronic device only during the time period.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device dispensing unit is configured to generate a return event signal in response to detecting that the portable electronic device has been returned to the portable electronic device dispensing unit, and wherein the server is further configured to:

receive the return event signal; and

generate an alert in response to detecting that the return event signal has not been received by the end time of the time period.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein selected programs and content stored on the portable electronic device are made inaccessible to the user before the portable electronic device is dispensed to the user based on the user data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein selected programs and content stored on the portable electronic device are made accessible to the user before the portable electronic device is dispensed to the user based on the user data.

15. A method of monitoring usage of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

securely encasing the portable electronic device;

authenticating a user;

querying a portable electronic device management system to retrieve the rights of the user;

determining that the user has rights to use the portable electronic device based on the rights of the user retrieved by the querying;

dispensing the portable electronic device from the portable electronic device dispensing system; and

in response to the dispensing, determining that the portable electronic device is not located in the portable electronic device dispensing system; and

in response to the determining, recording in a database that the portable electronic device is not located in the portable electronic device dispensing system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the authenticating a user includes sensing biometric data of the user using a biometric sensor and comparing the sensed biometric data to a database of biometric data of users to authenticate the user.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

periodically taking a screen shot of the portable electronic device and storing the screen shot in a screen shot database located remotely from the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing network communications for the portable electronic device via an internet access gateway located within the portable electronic device dispensing system, the internet access gateway configured to monitor and control all network communications to and from the portable electronic device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the portable electronic device in the portable electronic device dispensing system;

in response to the receiving, determining that the portable electronic device is located in the portable electronic device dispensing system; and

recording in a database that the portable electronic device is located in the portable electronic device dispensing system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the dispensing the portable electronic device from the portable electronic device dispensing system further includes configuring the electronic device for usage by the user prior to the dispensing.