Videoconference and video visitation security

• US 9,106,789 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tech Friends, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tech Friends, Inc.
• Inventors: Shipman, Bobby L. Jr., Shipman, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US13/355,211
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.03, 348/14.08, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.04, 348/14.05, 348/14.06, 348/14.07, 348/14.09, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 348/14.14, 348/15.15, 348/14.16, 379/265.03, 455/414.1, 455/566, 704/270
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing video visitation security to a controlled-environment facility are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method may include detecting an image of a face in a video stream transmitted between a resident (e.g., an inmate) of a controlled-environment facility (e.g., a jail or prison) and a non-resident of the controlled environment facility during a video visitation session. For example, the first image may occupy a given area on a display upon rendering of the video stream. As such, the method may include defacing (e.g., blurring, clouding, darkening, distorting, masking, shading, etc.) other areas on the display outside of the given area. Moreover, in various implementations, a method may also include detecting additional faces, determining and/or validating any number of visitors (e.g., via facial recognition), identifying certain attempts to circumvent security procedures, as well as taking pre-established corrective measures.

Claims

1. A method for videoconference security comprising:

performing, by one or more computer systems,

receiving, over a computer network, identification information associated with a first party and/or a second party;

detecting a first image of a first face in a video stream transmitted between the first party and the second party during a videoconference session, the first image occupying a first area on a display upon rendering of the video stream; and

defacing other areas on the display outside of the first area in response to the identification information received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first party is a resident of a controlled-environment facility and the second party is a non-resident of the controlled environment facility, and wherein the videoconference session is a video-visitation session between the resident and non-resident.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video stream is a pre-recorded or delayed transmission video message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlled-environment facility is a jail or prison, and wherein the resident of the controlled-environment facility is an inmate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein defacing includes blurring, clouding, darkening, distorting, blanking, masking, or shading.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

performing facial recognition on the first image; and

in response to the facial recognition determining that the first face does not match a face of an authorized person, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, blanking of the video stream, recording of the videoconference session, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the facial recognition includes retrieving a videoconference record including a facial characteristic of the authorized person.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

detecting a second image of a second face in the video stream during the videoconference session, the second image occupying a second area on the display upon rendering of the video stream,

wherein defacing the other areas on the display outside the first area includes defacing areas on the display outside the first and second areas in response to detection of the first image of the first face and detection of the second image of the second face.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

retrieving a videoconference record corresponding to the videoconference session, the video visitation record including a number of authorized persons; and

determining that the number of authorized persons is greater than 1.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

detecting a second image of a second face in the video stream during the videoconference session;

retrieving a videoconference record corresponding to the videoconference session, the videoconference record including a number of authorized persons;

determining that the number of authorized persons is equal to 1; and

causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, recording of the videoconference session, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting and defacing occur continuously during the videoconference session, and wherein the size and position of the first image changes throughout the videoconference session.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

detecting a change in the first image;

determining a magnitude of the change; and

in response to the magnitude of the change meeting a magnitude threshold, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, recording of the videoconference session, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

detecting a change in the first image;

determining a duration of the change; and

in response to the duration of the change meeting a duration threshold, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, recording of the videoconference session, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

in response to detecting an alphabetic, numeric, or symbolic character in the first image, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, defacing of the character, blanking of the video stream, recording of the videoconference session, identifying an affiliation of the first party or second party with a given gang or group, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

in response to detecting a non-biometric object in the first image, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, defacing of the non-biometric object, blanking of the video stream, recording of the videoconference session, identifying an affiliation of the first party or second party with a given gang or group, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

detecting a bodily movement in the first image unrelated to speech;

quantifying the bodily movement; and

and in response to the quantified bodily movement meeting a threshold value, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, defacing of the bodily movement, blanking of the video stream, recording of the videoconference session, identifying an affiliation of the first party or second party with a given gang or group, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

in response to detecting a hand gesture or sign language in the first image, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, defacing of the hand gesture or sign language, blanking of the video stream, recording of the videoconference session, flagging of the videoconference session, identifying an affiliation of the first party or second party with a given gang or group, or notification of a third-party.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the one or more computer systems,

determining a magnitude of a correlation between a mouth movement and speech in the video stream; and

in response to the magnitude of the correlation meeting a threshold value, causing at least one of;

termination of the videoconference session, defacing of the bodily movement, muting of the speech, blanking of the video stream, recording of the videoconference session, identification of an affiliation of the first party or second party with a given gang or group, flagging of the videoconference session, or notification of a third-party.

19. A security system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory configured to store program instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to;

receive, over a computer network, identification information associated with a first party;

receive, over a computer network, identification information associated with a second party;

identify a communication between the first party and the second party;

detect one or more images of one or more faces present in electronic content transmitted by the first party or the second party within or during the communication, the one or more images of the one or more faces occupying one or more corresponding areas upon rendering or printing of the electronic content; and

degrade portions of the one or more images outside of the one or more areas in response to the identification information received.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication is a non-real-time communication, and wherein electronic content includes an email, a text, a scanned postal mail, a website picture, a blog photo, a social media image, or a news report.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication is a video visitation session, and wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:

retrieve a video visitation record, the record indicating a number of visitors expected during the video visitation session; and

in response to the number of expected visitors being smaller than the number of one or more images of the one or more faces, terminate the video visitation session, record the video visitation session, flag the video visitation session, and/or notify a third-party.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication is a video visitation session, and wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:

retrieve a video visitation record, the record indicating a number of visitors expected during the video visitation session; and

in response to the number of expected visitors being greater than the number of one or more images of the one or more faces, record an absence of an expected visitor in the video visitation record.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication is a video visitation session, and wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:

retrieve a video visitation record, the record including a facial characteristic of visitors expected during the video visitation session;

perform facial recognition upon the one or more images of one or more faces; and

in response to the facial recognition determining that at least one of the one or more faces do not match facial characteristic, terminate the video visitation session, record the video visitation session, flag the video visitation session, and/or notify a third-party.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication is a video visitation session, and wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:

detect a change in the one or more images;

determine a magnitude of the change;

in response to the magnitude of the change meeting a magnitude threshold, determine a duration of the change; and

in response to the duration of the change meeting a duration threshold, terminate the video visitation session, record the video visitation session, flag the video visitation session, and/or notify a third-party.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having video visitation security program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by one or more computer systems, cause the one or more computer systems to:

identify a video visitation session between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and a non-resident of the controlled-environment facility;

detect one or more images of one or more faces present in a video stream transmitted by the non-resident and received by the resident, the one or more images of the one or more faces occupying one or more facial areas upon rendering of the video stream on a screen accessible to the resident during the video visitation session;

in response to a number of the one or more faces matching an expected number of faces prescribed by a video visitation record, perform facial recognition upon the one or more images of the one or more faces; and

in response to the facial recognition determining that the one or more faces match one or more faces of expected visitors and prescribed by the video visitation record, allow the video visitation session to take place while disfiguring areas outside of the one or more facial areas on the screen.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the one or more computer systems, cause the one or more computer systems to, in response to the number of the one or more faces not matching the expected number of faces prescribed by the video visitation record, take corrective action.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the one or more computer systems, cause the one or more computer systems to, in response to the facial recognition determining that the one or more faces do not match the one or more faces of expected visitors and prescribed by the video visitation record, take corrective action.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program instructions, upon execution by the one or more computer systems, cause the one or more computer systems to:

detect a change in the one or more images;

determine a magnitude of the change;

in response to the magnitude of the change meeting a magnitude threshold, determine a duration of the change; and

in response to the duration of the change meeting a duration threshold, take corrective action.