Message screening, delivery and billing system

• US 6,668,045 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: T-Netix, Inc. (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Mow, John Beck
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/698,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/69, 379/70, 379/85, 379/88.19, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.04, 379/88.05, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 455/412, 455/413, 455/415, 455/461
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/888 severing connection after predetermined time or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The invention is a computerized system that allows inmates of a correctional institution to communicate with parties outside the facilities via telephonic or electronic messaging events. The system provides a means to bill for the events while controlling to whom the inmate can communicate with or from whom they may receive communications, including controlling the method, the length, limited content editing, the frequency of communicating, storage of and the manner of alerting a recipient of a message or receipt thereof.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communications in an institution comprising:

receiving an identification number associated with an inmate from an external party, the external party having an associated telephone phone number;

comparing the telephone number of the external party to a list of authorized external parties associated with the identification number;

enabling the external party to deposit a voice message in response to a determination that the external party is an authorized external party;

determining whether the voice message contains impermissible words by comparing the voice message against a list of impermissible words;

notifying a third party in response to a determination that the voice message includes at least one impermissible word; and

blocking the voice message from retrieval by the inmate in response to the determination that the voice message includes at least one impermissible word.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the inmate that a voice message has been received.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the external party to deposit the voice message further comprises:

referencing a count of received messages;

comparing the message count to a permitted allotment; and

blocking the voice message in response to a determination that the count of received messages exceeds the permitted allotment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing the voice message to the inmate in response to a playback request.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a billing entry associated with the inmate for the voice message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a collect call charge for the external party for the voice message.

7. A method of transmitting outbound messages from an inmate in an institution comprising:

receiving an outbound voice message from the inmate;

storing the voice message in a message box associated with the inmate, wherein

storing comprises;

referencing a message count;

comparing the message count to a permitted allotment; and

blocking storage of the voice message in response to a determination that the message count exceeds the permitted allotment;

reviewing the voice message;

determining whether the voice message contains impermissible words by comparing the voice message against a list of impermissible words; and

notifying a third party in response to a determination that the voice message includes at least one impermissible word.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a retrieval request including an identification number associated with the inmate from an external party; and

playing the stored voice message to the external party.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a retrieval request including an identification number associated with the inmate from an external party; and

playing the stored voice message to the external party if the stored voice message has not been determined to contain at least one impermissible word.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising blocking the voice message from retrieval by the external party in response to the determination that the voice message includes the at least one impermissible word.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising notifying the external party that a voice message has been received.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a billing entry associated with the inmate for the voice message.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a collect call charge for the external party for the voice message.

14. A method of controlling inbound communications in an institution comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message from an external party, the external party having an electronic mail address, the electronic mail message directed to an inmate;

identifying the electronic mail address of the external party;

comparing the electronic mail address of the external party to a list of authorized external parties associated with the inmate;

storing the electronic mail message in a message box associated with the inmate in response to a determination that the external party is an authorized external party;

determining whether the electronic mail message contains impermissible words by comparing the electronic mail message against a list of impermissible words;

notifying a third party in response to a determination that the electronic mail message includes at least one impermissible word; and

editing the electronic mail message in response to a determination that the electronic mail message includes the at least one impermissible word to remove the impermissible word.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising converting the electronic mail message to a voice message.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a billing entry associated with the inmate.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein storing the message comprises:

referencing a message count;

comparing the message count to a permitted allotment; and

blocking the message in response to a determination that the message count exceeds the permitted allotment.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising notifying the inmate that a voice message has been received.