Systems and methods for detecting a call anomaly using biometric identification

• US 9,020,114 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Hogg, John S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/603,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20080118042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,079 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.03, 379/114.01, 379/114.14, 379/32.01, 379/188, 379/189, 379/202.01, 455/411, 455/26.1
• US Class Current: 379/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/68 Circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to use of biometric identification during a call for detecting an anomaly occurring in the call, such as a change in the parties participating on the call. Communication between parties of a call is monitored and biometric identification is performed using the communication. According to one exemplary embodiment, biometric prints, such as voice prints, face prints, etc., are obtained for parties that are authorized to participate on a call. The call is then monitored and biometric data (e.g., audio, video, etc.) captured from communication during the call is compared with the biometric prints of the authorized parties to detect changes in the parties participating on the call, such as a new, unauthorized party joining the call. Thus, a call processing system can detect anomalies occurring during monitored calls, such as three-way calling, a handoff of a call, etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a biometric print for at least one authorized party to a call;

capturing biometric information for the at least one authorized party during the call;

using a location tracking device, identifying a third-party in the physical vicinity of the authorized party while the call is ongoing;

in response to the identification of the third-party, monitoring background audio for the call; and

detecting, based at least in part on the determined biometric print or the background audio, an anomaly in the call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the capturing biometric information during the call comprises:

capturing, from a communication by the at least one authorized party during the call, biometric data from which said biometric information is derived.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric print comprises an audible-based biometric print.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the captured biometric information comprises audio.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising comparing the background audio to voice prints of well-known voices of radio or television personalities to determine that another third-party is not present in the physical vicinity of the at least one authorized party.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric print comprises a video-based biometric print.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the captured biometric information comprises video.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric print comprises a handwriting-based biometric print.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the captured biometric information comprises handwritten communication.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said anomaly comprises a new party participating on the call.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining said biometric print for an authorized party on each side of the call.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising:

capturing said biometric information for parties on each side of the call during the call; and

monitoring the captured biometric information during the call to detect, based at least in part on the determined biometric prints, said anomaly in the call.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating one of a plurality of possible responsive actions based upon the identity of the third-party.

13. A method, comprising:

determining a first biometric print for a first party to a call;

determining a second biometric print for a second party to the call;

capturing, during the call, biometric information for parties participating on the call;

monitoring a background noise level on the call;

comparing the captured biometric information to the determined biometric prints to generate a biometric identification of the first party and the second party;

assigning a confidence score to the biometric identification, the confidence score determined by the background noise level detected on the call;

detecting, based at least in part on the comparing, a new party participating on the call in the physical vicinity of the first or second parties, the detecting based on the confidence score; and

initiating one of a plurality of responsive actions based upon an identity of the new party.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first or second biometric print is of a type selected from the group consisting of:

audible-based biometric print, video-based biometric print, and handwriting-based biometric print.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing background audio to voice prints of radio or television personalities to determine that another new party is not present in the physical vicinity of the first or second parties.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second biometric prints are of the same type.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second biometric prints are of different types.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the first and second biometric prints comprise voice prints for the first and second parties to the call.

19. A method, comprising:

determining a voice print for each authorized party to a call;

monitoring audio during the call to detect, based at least in part on the determined voice prints, an anomaly in the call;

monitoring the audio during the call to identify background audio generated by a source other than an authorized party to the call; and

comparing the background audio to voice prints of well-known voices of radio or television personalities to determine that an unauthorized party is not present in the physical vicinity of at least one of the authorized parties.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said anomaly comprises a new party participating on the call.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said determining a voice print comprises:

capturing audio from each authorized party on the call; and

generating corresponding voice prints that uniquely identify the respective authorized parties on each side of the call.

22. A method, comprising:

determining a first voice print for a first party to a call;

determining a second voice print for a second party to the call;

monitoring a location for at least one party to the call;

identifying third parties who are at the location;

comparing audio captured during the call to the determined voice prints;

monitoring a background noise level on the call;

assigning a confidence score to the audio captured during the call, the confidence score determined by the background noise level detected on the call;

detecting, based at least in part on the comparing and on the confidence score, that a new party participating on the call is in the physical vicinity of the first or second parties; and

initiating one of a plurality of different responsive actions selected based upon an identity of the new party, the different responsive actions selected from the group consisting of;

notifying appropriate personnel, terminating the call, and recording the call for investigative purposes.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising comparing background audio to voice prints of well-known voices of radio or television personalities to determine that another new party is not present in the physical vicinity of the first or second parties.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein at least one of the first party and second party is a resident of a controlled-environment facility.

36. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the location for the at least one party to the call using a radio frequency identification (RFID) system; and

identifying third parties who are at the location using the RFID system.

25. A system, comprising:

biometric printing logic operable to generate a biometric print identifying at least one party on a call;

call monitoring logic operable to compare the generated biometric print for the at least one party with biometric data captured for parties participating during the call to detect a change in parties to the call;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) system for tracking locations of inmates in a controlled environment facility, the inmates including an inmate party to the call;

background audio logic for monitoring background audio for the at least one party on the call;

determining logic operable, based upon the background audio, for determining when a third party is physically near the at least one authorized party during the call; and

the call monitoring logic operable to time-synchronize the locations to determine the identity of inmates within a physical vicinity of the inmate party to the call, and to base a monitoring activity or responsive action at least in part on the identity of one or more inmates within the physical vicinity of the inmate party to the call.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the biometric printing logic is operable to generate a biometric print identifying authorized parties on each side of the call;

and wherein the call monitoring logic is operable to compare generated biometric prints for the authorized parties of the call with biometric data captured for parties participating during the call to detect the change in parties to the call.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said call monitoring logic is further configured to compare background audio to voice prints of well-known radio or television personalities to determine that an unauthorized party is not present in the physical vicinity of the at least one party.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said call monitoring logic comprises:

logic operable to compare generated voice prints for the authorized parties of the call with audio captured during the call to detect the change in parties to the call.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein said biometric printing logic comprises:

video-based biometric printing logic operable to generate a video-based biometric print for the authorized parties on each side of the call.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the video-based biometric print comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

face print, iris print, and retina print.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said call monitoring logic comprises:

logic operable to compare generated video-based biometric prints for the authorized parties of the call with video captured during the call to detect the change in parties to the call.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein said biometric printing logic comprises:

handwriting-based biometric printing logic operable to generate a handwriting-based biometric print for the authorized parties on each side of the call.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said call monitoring logic comprises:

logic operable to compare generated handwriting-based biometric prints for the authorized parties of the call with handwriting communication captured during the call to detect the change in parties to the call.

34. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the system to;

determine a biometric print for at least one authorized party to a video conference call;

capture biometric information for the at least one authorized party during the video conference call;

identify a third-party while the video conference call is ongoing;

compare background audio to voice prints of well-known radio or television personalities to determine that the identified third-party is not present in the physical vicinity of the at least one authorized party;

detect, based at least in part on the determined biometric print, an anomaly in the video conference call; and

initiate at least one of a plurality of different responsive actions selected from the group consisting of;

notifying appropriate personnel, terminating the video conference call, and recording the video conference call for investigative purposes.