On-demand video communication for controlled-environment facility residents

• US 8,929,525 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Edwards, Adam C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US14/323,582
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.21, 379/114.23, 379/114.24, 379/188, 348/14.01, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 379/114.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/10 Metering calls from calling party , i.e. A-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

During a voice call from a resident of a controlled-environment facility to another party, a selection of an option by the resident or the other party to convert the voice call to a video communication between the resident and the other party may be made. Whereupon, a controlled-environment communications processing system may confirm that the other call party agrees to convert the voice call to a video communication, and may query a controlled-environment facility administration and management system to confirm that the resident may take part in a video communication. Thereafter, such as in response to confirmation both parties agree to convert the voice call to a video communication and/or that the resident may take part in a video communication, a video communication link may be established between a communication device in use by the resident and a communication device in use by the other party.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a voice call from a resident of a controlled-environment facility to another party by a controlled-environment facility communications processing system;

offering, by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system, the resident or the other party an opportunity to convert the voice call to a video communication; and

establishing, by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system, a video communication link between a communication device in use by the resident and a communication device in use by the other party in response to the resident or the other party accepting the offer to convert the voice call to a video communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising confirming, by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system, that the resident may take part in a video communication, prior to establishing the video communications link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the confirming further comprises querying a controlled-environment facility administration and management system, by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system, as to whether the resident may take part in a video communication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting payment from the resident or the other party for the video communication.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a resident communications account maintained by the controlled-environment facility for the benefit of the resident for payment of the video communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the other party is a non-resident of a controlled-environment facility.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising accepting payment from the non-resident for the video communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the other party is a resident of the controlled-environment facility.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the other party is a resident of another controlled-environment facility.

10. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a controlled-environment facility communications processing system, cause the controlled-environment facility communications processing system to:

connect a voice call from a resident of a controlled-environment facility to another party;

accept a selection of an option by the resident or the other party to convert the voice call to a video communication between the resident and the other party;

confirm that the resident or other party, who did not select the option to convert the voice call to a video communication, agrees to convert the voice call to a video communication; and

establish a video communication link between a communication device in use by the resident and a communication device in use by the other party, in response to confirmation that the resident or other party, who did not select the option to convert the voice call to a video communication, agrees to convert the voice call to a video communication.

11. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, the program instructions further executable by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system to confirm that the resident may take part in a video communication, prior to establishing the video communications link.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the program instructions further executable by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system to confirm that the resident may take part in a video communication by querying a controlled-environment facility administration and management system as to whether the resident may take part in a video communication.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, the program instructions further executable by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system to accept payment from the resident or the other party for the video communication.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, the program instructions further executable by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system to charge a resident communications account maintained by the controlled-environment facility for the benefit off the resident for payment for the video communication.

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the other party is a non-resident of a controlled-environment facility.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the program instructions further executable by the controlled-environment facility communications processing system to accept payment from the non-resident for the video communication.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the other party is a resident of the controlled-environment facility.

18. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the other party is a resident of another controlled-environment facility.

19. A controlled-environment facility communications processing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions, and wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to;

connect a voice call from a resident of a controlled-environment facility to another party;

accept a selection of an option by the resident or the other party to convert the voice call to a video communication between the resident and the other party;

confirm that the resident or other party, who did not select the option to convert the voice call to a video communication, agrees to convert the voice call to a video communication;

query a controlled-environment facility administration and management system to confirm that the resident may take part in a video communication; and

establish a video communication link between a communication device in use by the resident and a communication device in use by the other party, in response to confirmation that the resident or other party, who did not select the option to convert the voice call to a video communication, agrees to convert the voice call to a video communication and confirmation that that the resident may take part in a video communication.

20. The controlled-environment facility on-demand video communication system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to accept payment from the resident or the other party for the video communication.

21. The controlled-environment facility on-demand video communication system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to charge a resident communications account maintained by the controlled-environment facility for the benefit of the resident for payment of the video communication.

22. The controlled-environment facility on-demand video communication system of claim 19, wherein the other party is a non-resident of a controlled-environment facility.

23. The controlled-environment facility on-demand video communication system of claim 22, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to accept payment from the non-resident for the video communication.

24. The controlled-environment facility on-demand video communication system of claim 19, wherein the other party is a resident of the controlled-environment facility and the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to charge a resident communications account maintained by the controlled-environment facility for the benefit of each of the residents or charge a community communications account maintained by the controlled-environment facility for the benefit of both of the residents, for the video communication.

25. The controlled-environment facility on-demand video communication system of claim 19, wherein the other party is a resident of another controlled-environment facility and the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to charge a resident communications account maintained by each of the controlled-environment facilities for the benefit of each of the residents or charge a community communications account maintained by at least one of the controlled-environment facilities for the benefit of both of the residents, for the video communication.