Wireless communications control in a controlled environment facility

• US 8,099,080 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• 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: Rae, Robert L., Keahon, Peter, Polozola, Michelle L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUA, QUAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/356,734
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/435, 455/456, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/423, 340/573.4, 340/571, 340/581, 379/189, 709/209
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods which facilitate wireless communications within a controlled environment in a controlled manner are shown. Embodiments operate to recognize wireless communications, whether voice, text, video, or data, terminating within a controlled environment facility and control one or more aspects of the communication using a call processing platform or other communication control system. In addition to providing a higher percentage of calls completed calls, embodiments of the invention provide improved investigatory tools for the controlled environment facility through controlling, monitoring, redirecting, and/or interrupting wireless communications. Embodiments deploy one or more wireless communication nodes in communication with a call processing platform operating in association with the controlled environment facility, such that wireless communications passing through the wireless communication nodes are subject to call processing by the call processing platform.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a call processing platform operable to communicate with a wireless node, the wireless node including an antenna system deployed in proximity to a controlled environment facility and disposed to illuminate at least a portion of said controlled environment facility, the antenna system configured to enable the controlled environment facility to monitor communications between a wireless device disposed in said controlled environment facility and another device via a first communication link, the monitoring in accordance with controlled environment call control features implemented by said call processing platform; and

a wireless-device detection device disposed in a radio frequency identification (RFID) bracelet wearable by a resident of said controlled environment facility, the wireless-device detection device distinct from the antenna system, the wireless-device detection device comprising a processor configured to;

detect a wireless device in communication with another device;

capture device identification information associated with said wireless device;

establish a second communication link to the call processing platform; and

send said device identification information to said call processing platform via the second communication link, the second communication link distinct from the first communication link, the RFID bracelet configured to provide a location of the resident within the controlled environment facility, and the call processing platform configured to associate the location of the resident with a location of the detected wireless device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless node comprises a wireless communication node deployed within said controlled environment facility.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless node is adapted to provide a signal causing said wireless device to establish communications with said wireless node to the exclusion of a wireless communication network access point deployed outside of said controlled environment facility.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless node comprises a wireless communication network access point deployed by a wireless telecommunication service provider outside of said controlled environment facility.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said call processing platform comprises a call processing system disposed at a central location for servicing a plurality of controlled environment facilities.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said call processing platform comprises a call processing system disposed at a location of said controlled environment facility.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said controlled environment call control features comprise at least one of allowed called number analysis, blocked called number analysis, call recording, call monitoring, and investigative data collection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said call processing platform is operable to process communications associated with said wireless device in a plurality of modes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of modes comprises a stealth mode in which a party to the wireless communication is not made aware of processing by said call processing platform.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of modes comprises a public mode in which a party to the wireless communication is made aware of processing by said call processing platform.

11. The system of claim 1, the wireless-device detection device operable to provide identification information associated with the detected wireless device to said call processing platform using a same transmitter as a transmitter of the RFID bracelet.

12. The system of claim 1, the wireless-device detection device operable to provide identification information associated with the detected wireless device to said call processing platform using a transmitter different than a transmitter of the RFID bracelet.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication link between the wireless-device detection device and the call processing platform is a physical link provided by a transmitter within the RFID bracelet, the physical link configured to enable a download of information from the detection device and an upload of information to the wireless-device detection device.

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

15. A method comprising:

detecting, by a detection device placed in an identification tag wearable by a resident of a controlled environment facility, a wireless device being used in a wireless communication with another device;

capturing device identification information of said wireless device;

establishing, by said detection device, a first communication link to a communication processing platform and sending to said communication processing platform via a first communication link, said device identification information;

operating a wireless node to provide a second communication link, the wireless node having an antenna system deployed within said controlled environment facility and disposed to illuminate at least a portion of said controlled environment facility;

monitoring the wireless communication by the controlled environment facility via said second communication link, wherein the detection device is distinct from the antenna system and the second communication link distinct from the first communication link; and

controlling at least one aspect of wireless communication using said communication processing platform in response to said receiving, said communication processing platform providing communication control features within the a controlled environment facility.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

deploying said wireless node within said controlled environment facility to intercept wireless communications.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adapting a wireless communication system access point deployed by a wireless telecommunication service provider outside of said controlled environment facility to intercept wireless communications associated with a wireless device disposed inside of said controlled environment facility for control by said call processing platform.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said controlling at least one aspect of said wireless communication comprises:

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

19. The method of claim 18, 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 a wireless device associated with said wireless communication, and re-routing said wireless communication.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said controlling at least one aspect of said wireless communication comprises:

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

21. The method of claim 20, 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.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein said controlling at least one aspect of said wireless communication is performed without notifying a party of the wireless communication.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

notifying a party of the wireless communication that said wireless communication is subject to control by said call control platform.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information regarding a location of the detected wireless device at said call processing platform via the first communication link.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving information regarding an identification of the detected wireless device at said call processing platform via the first communication link.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein said controlled environment facility comprises a prison facility.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a wireless device associated with said wireless communication comprises a cellular telephone.

28. A method comprising:

detecting, by a detection device placed in an identification tag wearable by a resident of a prison facility, a wireless device being used in a wireless communication with another device;

capturing device identification information of said wireless device;

establishing a first communication link to a call processing platform;

sending the device identification information to the call processing platform configured to provide call security with respect to the prison facility via said first communication link between the detection device and the call processing platform;

establishing a second communication link between a wireless node and the wireless device in said prison facility, the wireless node including an antenna system deployed in proximity to the prison facility, the antenna system being distinct from the detection device, and, the first communication link being distinct from the second communication link;

intercepting a wireless communication via said second communication link an between a wireless node and the wireless device in said prison facility; and

processing said intercepted wireless communication using the call processing platform.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

deploying the wireless node within said prison facility to intercept cellular telephone calls.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

adapting said wireless node to cause cellular telephones within said prison facility to establish communications with said wireless node in lieu of establishing communications with a cellular base station deployed by a cellular telecommunication service provider outside of said prison facility.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

adapting a cellular base station deployed by a cellular telecommunication service provider outside of said prison facility to intercept cellular telephone calls associated with a cellular telephone disposed inside of said prison facility for processing by said prison facility call processing platform.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the identification tag wearable by the resident of the prison facility includes a prisoner locator bracelet.

33. A device comprising:

a wireless-device detection device configured to detect the operation of wireless communication devices in a controlled environment facility;

the wireless-device detection device configured to transmit data over a first communication link to a call processing platform;

the wireless-device detection device configured to provide device identification information regarding a detected wireless communication device to said call processing platform via said first communication link in response to the detected wireless communication device attempting to communicate with a wireless node via a second communication link distinct from the first communication link, the wireless node including an antenna system deployed in proximity to the controlled environment facility and configured to enable the controlled environment facility to monitor the second communication link; and

the wireless-device detection device configured to be disposed in a radio frequency identification (RFID) bracelet wearable by a resident of the controlled environment facility, the wireless-device detection device distinct from the antenna system.