Verifying presence of authorized persons during an electronic visitation

• US 9,007,420 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Passe, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US14/152,831
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 379/142.05
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/45 Detection of the body part being alive
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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

An embodiment of an apparatus may include an image capture device configured to capture an image of a user in response to a request to initiate an electronic visitation session. The apparatus may also include a processing device coupled to the image capture device and configured to perform a feature detection process on the image to verify that an actual face was present in the image, and connect the electronic visitation session in response to a determination that the actual face was present in the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate an electronic visitation session;

capturing an image, with an image capture device, of a user in response to the request;

performing a feature detection process, with a processor, on the image to verify that an actual face was present in the image;

connecting the electronic visitation session in response to a determination that the actual face was present in the image;

capturing a second image of the user with the image capture device during the electronic visitation session;

performing the detection process on the second image, with the processor, to verify that the actual face is present in the second image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to face the image capture device in response to receiving the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is configured to capture a still-frame image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is configured to capture a video frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein feature detection process further comprises a facial recognition process.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the image captured by the image capture device in a data storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises a component of a video visitation system located within a controlled-environment facility.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises a component of an electronic device located outside of the controlled-environment facility.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a responsive action in response to a determination that the actual face is not present in the second image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature detection process utilizes three-dimensional (3D) feature detection.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a user in response to a request to initiate an electronic visitation session;

a processing device coupled to the image capture device and configured to;

perform a feature detection process on the image to verify that an actual face was present in the image;

connect the electronic visitation session in response to a determination that the actual face was present in the image;

capture a second image of the user with the image capture device during the electronic visitation session;

perform the feature detection process on the second image to verify that the actual face is present in the second image.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing device is further configured to prompt the user to face the image capture device in response to receiving the request.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image capture device is further configured to capture a still-frame image.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image capture device is further configured to capture a video frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising the processing device being configured to perform a facial recognition process.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing device is further configured to store the image captured by the image capture device in a data storage device.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image capture device comprises a component of a video visitation system located within a controlled-environment facility.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image capture device comprises a component of an electronic device located outside of the controlled-environment facility.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising performing a responsive action in response to a determination that the actual face is not present in the second image.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing device utilizes three-dimensional (3D) feature detection to perform the feature detection process on the image to verify that an actual face was present in the image.

21. A method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate an electronic visitation session;

capturing a first image, with an image capture device, of a user in response to the request;

performing a three-dimensional (3D) facial recognition process on the first image, with a processor, to identify the user;

connecting the electronic visitation session in response to a determination that a face in the first image matches an authorized user;

capturing a second image of the user, with the image capture device, during the electronic visitation session;

performing the 3D facial recognition process on the second image, with the processor, to identify the user; and

performing a responsive action in response to a determination that a face in the second image does not match an authorized user.