Wireless communications control in a controlled environment facility

• US 8,019,354 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Keahon, Peter, Rae, Robert L., Polozola, Michelle L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/612,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20080057976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/41.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods which facilitate wireless communications within a controlled environment in a controlled manner are shown. Embodiments operate to recognize wireless communications terminating within a controlled environment facility and control one or more aspects of the communications. Embodiments also operate to detect wireless devices disposed within a controlled environment facility and determine the location of the wireless devices. Embodiments deploy one or more wireless communication nodes in communication with an information processing platform operating in association with the controlled environment facility, such that wireless devices detected by the wireless communication nodes are located by the call processing platform and wireless communications passing through the wireless communication nodes are subject to call processing by the information processing platform.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a multi-path mesh network of wireless nodes, wherein said network of wireless nodes comprises a plurality of wireless nodes disposed to passively monitor RF signals emitted from wireless devices within at least a portion of a controlled environment facility; and

an information processing platform separate from and in communication with said network of wireless nodes and operable to process information provided by one or more of said wireless node, and provide location information specific to an unauthorized wireless device disposed in said controlled environment facility, wherein said one or more wireless node is further adapted to alert one or more neighboring wireless node, upon detection of a signal from said unauthorized wireless device, said one or more neighboring wireless node being a part of said network of wireless nodes, the unauthorized wireless device being identified as such through a comparison between identification information corresponding to the unauthorized wireless device and identification information corresponding to one or more wireless devices registered with the information processing platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless nodes of said plurality of wireless nodes is adapted to detect signals emitted from a plurality of wireless device configurations.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of wireless device configurations comprise at least two of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a wireless network device, a two-way pager, and a press-to-talk personal communication services device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless node is adapted to wake up one or more neighboring wireless node upon detection of a signal from said unauthorized wireless device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said one or more wireless node and said one or more neighboring wireless node cooperate to route data to said information processing platform.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said data is routed to said information processing platform via a gateway wireless node.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more wireless node and said one or more neighboring wireless node are further adapted to collect data associated with said signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said data comprises signal strength.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said data comprises relative delay.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said data comprises information with respect to an approximate location of said unauthorized wireless device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said information processing platform uses said location of said unauthorized wireless device to optimize operation of said information processing platform with respect to wireless devices within said controlled environment facility.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said optimizing comprises deploying additional wireless nodes in strategic locations of said controlled environment facility, said additional wireless nodes deployed as part of said network of wireless nodes.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of wireless nodes alternate between awake and sleep modes to conserve power.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of wireless nodes are deployed within said controlled environment facility.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said controlled environment facility comprises a prison facility.

16. A method comprising:

detecting a signal emitted by an unauthorized wireless device using one or more wireless node, wherein said one or more wireless node is part of a multi-path mesh network of a plurality of wireless nodes that passively monitor RF signals emitted from wireless devices within at least a portion of a controlled environment facility, the unauthorized wireless device being identified as such by comparing identification information corresponding to the unauthorized wireless device with identification information corresponding to one or more wireless devices registered with the controlled environment facility;

alerting one or more neighboring wireless node, using said one or more wireless node, to prompt said one or more neighboring wireless node to aid in locating said unauthorized wireless device, wherein said one or more neighboring wireless node are part of said network of wireless nodes;

collecting data associated with said signal, wherein said data associated with said signal is collected by said one or more wireless node and said one or more neighboring wireless node; and

determining the location of said unauthorized wireless device using said data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

deploying said one or more wireless node within said controlled environment facility to detect said signal and collect said data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

waking up one or more neighboring wireless node in sleep mode using said one or more wireless node, wherein said one or more neighboring wireless node are part of said network of wireless nodes.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said data comprises signal strength.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said data comprises relative delay.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said one or more wireless node determine the location of said unauthorized wireless device using said data.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

routing said data to an information processing platform using said one or more wireless node and said one or more neighboring wireless node and separate from the wireless nodes.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said data is routed to said information processing platform via a gateway wireless node.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said information processing platform determines the location of said unauthorized wireless device using said data.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of wireless nodes in said network of wireless nodes alternate between awake and sleep modes.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of wireless nodes in said network of wireless nodes operate under the ZigBee communications protocols.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein said one or more wireless node are operable to detect a plurality of unauthorized wireless devices, said plurality of unauthorized wireless devices comprising various types of wireless devices.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said unauthorized wireless devices comprise at least two of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a wireless network device, a two-way pager, and a press-to-talk personal communication services device.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein said controlled environment facility comprises a prison facility.

30. A system comprising:

a multi-path mesh network of a plurality of wireless nodes disposed to passively monitor RF signals emitted from wireless devices within at least a portion of a controlled environment facility, each of the plurality of wireless nodes operating in either an awake mode or sleep mode, upon detection of an unauthorized wireless device the wireless nodes activate one or more neighboring wireless nodes, the one or more neighboring wireless node being part of said network of wireless nodes, wherein said wireless nodes are further adapted to alert one or more neighboring wireless node to prompt said one or more neighboring wireless node to aid in locating said unauthorized wireless device, the unauthorized wireless device being identified as such through a comparison between identification information corresponding to the unauthorized wireless device and identification information corresponding to one or more wireless devices registered with the controlled environment facility.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said one or more wireless device comprises a plurality of wireless devices, said plurality of wireless devices comprising various types of wireless devices.

32. A method comprising:

detecting an unauthorized wireless device using one or more wireless node disposed to monitor at least a portion of a controlled environment facility, wherein said one or more wireless node is part of a multi-path mesh network of wireless nodes deployed in association with said controlled environment facility, the wireless nodes passively monitor RF signals emitted from wireless devices, the unauthorized wireless device being identified as such by comparing identification information corresponding to the unauthorized wireless device with identification information corresponding to one or more wireless devices registered with the controlled environment facility;

intercepting a wireless communication placed from or to said unauthorized wireless device using at least one wireless node disposed to illuminate at least a portion of said controlled environment facility, wherein said at least one wireless node is part of said network of wireless nodes;

alerting one or more neighboring wireless node using said one or more wireless node to prompt said one or more neighboring wireless node to aid in locating said unauthorized wireless device, wherein said one or more neighboring wireless node is part of said network of wireless nodes; and

collecting data associated with said signal using said one or more wireless node and said one or more neighboring wireless node.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

determining the location of said unauthorized wireless device using an information processing platform separate from the wireless nodes, wherein said location of said unauthorized wireless device is used to facilitate said intercepting said wireless communication placed from or to said unauthorized wireless device.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

controlling at least one aspect of said intercepted wireless communication using an information processing platform separate from the wireless nodes, said information processing platform providing communication control features unique to controlling communications associated with a controlled environment facility, said controlling at least one aspect of said wireless communication implementing a communication control feature of said communication control features.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said controlling at least one aspect of said wireless communication comprises completing said wireless communication under control of said communication processing platform.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

at least one of, under control of said communication processing platform, verifying said wireless communication is being placed to an allowed number, recording at least a portion of said wireless communication, monitoring at least a portion of said wireless communication, locating said unauthorized wireless device associated with said wireless communication, and re-routing said wireless communication.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said controlling at least one aspect of said wireless communication comprises:

blocking said wireless communication under control of said communication processing platform.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

at least one of, under control of said communication processing platform, determining said wireless communication is being placed to a disallowed number, determining said communication is being placed from an unauthorized location, and determining said communication is being placed at an unauthorized time.