Voice message exchange

• US 8,243,891 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen, Woody, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US11/045,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20070003026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,755 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/114.01, 379/143, 379 882- 8827, 379/188, 379 68- 70, 379/85, 379/191, 379196-199, 4554121-413
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a voice message exchange system and method for improving communication between an inmate and a third party by enabling the inmate to leave a message when a call is not answered and further allowing the third party who receives the message to reply with a message to the inmate. Additionally, outside parties that meet the institution'"'"'s requirements can leave messages for inmates at any time. The present invention can be used as an add-on to legacy inmate call management systems or incorporated internally into an inmate call management system. The system also provides monitoring, controlling, recording, and billing means.

Claims

1. A method for institutional voice messaging, comprising:

authenticating, via a call management system, user identification information regarding a user located within an institution;

verifying that the user is allowed to place a telephone call to a telephone associated with an outside party remotely located from the institution;

determining whether a telephone number of the outside party is an authorized telephone number to call and, if the telephone number is an authorized telephone number to call, placing a telephone call to the authorized telephone number;

determining that the telephone call is answered by a recording device or that the telephone call is not answered;

providing a prompt for the user to leave a message in a user mailbox if the telephone call is answered by a recording device or the telephone call is not answered, wherein the user mailbox is associated with the user and is located within the call management system;

storing the user'"'"'s message in the user mailbox;

dialing the telephone number of the outside party until the telephone is answered by a person or by a recording device;

detecting whether the telephone call is answered by the person or by the recording device;

providing a prompt to the person to accept the telephone call if the system determines that the telephone call is answered by the person;

providing a notification message to the person if the system receives information for accepting the telephone call, wherein the notification message comprises information for retrieving the user'"'"'s message in the user mailbox;

storing the notification message in the system mailbox if the telephone call is answered by the recording device, wherein the message is stored in the system mailbox for playback to the outside party; and

receiving a telephone call from the outside party for retrieving the message in the system mailbox or the user mailbox, wherein the outside party communicates information to the call management system to retrieve the message in the user mailbox or the call management system notifies the outside party of the message stored in the system mailbox upon accessing the call management system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the message has unauthorized content and, if the message has unauthorized content, deleting the message from the mailbox associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message includes information regarding notifying the person.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating, via the call management system, identification information regarding the outside party;

determining whether the outside party has an authorized account in the call management system, and if the outside party does not have an authorized account, then creating an authorized account for the outside party;

retrieving the message in the user mailbox; and

providing the message in the user mailbox to the outside party.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a prompt for the outside party to leave a second message in the user mailbox; and

recording the second message and storing the second message in the call management system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether the second message has unauthorized content and, if the second message has unauthorized content, sending the second message to an administrator of or associated with the call management system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the second message has authorized content and, if the second message has authorized content, storing the second message in the user mailbox.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising notifying the user regarding the second message when the user accesses the call management system.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising, notifying the user via a closed circuit camera or cameras, regarding the second message.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, notifying the user by a printed medium regarding the second message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the telephone call if the telephone call is answered by a person.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

blocking the user from placing a future telephone call or future telephone calls to the telephone number of the outside party.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises pin number information, did identification information, or biometric information.

14. An apparatus for institutional voice messaging, comprising:

a call management system for authenticating user identification information regarding a user associated with an institution, for verifying that the user is allowed to place a telephone call to a telephone associated with an outside party remotely located from the institution, and for determining whether a telephone number of the outside party is an authorized telephone number and, if the telephone number is an authorized telephone number for placing a telephone call to the authorized telephone number,

wherein the call management system determines that the telephone call is answered by a recording device or that the call is not answered, and

wherein the call management system provides a prompt for the user to leave a message in a user mailbox upon a determination that the telephone call is answered by the recording device or the call is not answered,

wherein the user mailbox is associated with the user and located within the call management system,

wherein the call management system stores the user'"'"'s message in the user mailbox;

wherein the call management system dials the telephone number of the outside party until the telephone is answered by a person or by a recording device,

wherein the call management system detects that the telephone call is answered by the person or by the recording device,

wherein the call management system provides a prompt to accept the telephone call if the telephone call is answered by the person,

wherein the call management system provides a notification message to the person if the system receives information for accepting the telephone call,

wherein the notification message comprises information to retrieve the user'"'"'s message in the user mailbox,

wherein the system stores the notification message in a system mailbox for playback to the outside party if the telephone call is answered by the recording device,

wherein the call management system receives a telephonic communication from the outside party for retrieving the message in the user mailbox or the system mailbox, wherein the outside party communicates the information to the call management system to retrieve the message stored in the user mailbox or the call management system notifies the outside party of the message stored in the system mailbox upon accessing the system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus determines whether the message has unauthorized content and, if the message has unauthorized content, the apparatus deletes the message from the user mailbox.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the notification message includes information regarding notifying the person.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus authenticates, via the call management system, identification information regarding the outside party, and further wherein the apparatus verifies whether the outside party has an authorized account in the call management system, and if the outside party does not have an authorized account in the call management system, the apparatus creates an authorized account for the outside party, and further wherein the apparatus retrieves the message in the user mailbox and further wherein the apparatus provides the message in the user mailbox to the outside party.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus provides a prompt for the outside party to leave a second message in the user mailbox, and further wherein the apparatus records and stores the second message in the call management system.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus determines whether the second message has unauthorized content and, if the second message has unauthorized content, sending the second message to an administrator of or associated with the call management system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus determines whether the second message has authorized content and, if the second message has authorized content, then the apparatus stores the second message in the user mailbox.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus notifies the user regarding the second message when the user accesses the call management system, notifies the user regarding the second message via a printed medium, or notifies the user regarding the second message via a closed circuit camera or cameras.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus monitors a conversation on the telephone call if the telephone call is answered by a person.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus blocks the user from placing a future telephone call or future telephone calls to the telephone number of the outside party.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the identification information comprises a pin number information, rfid identification information, or biometric identification information.