Digital telecommunications call management and monitoring system

• US 9,143,609 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US13/949,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/352, 379/188, 379/200, 379/249, 379/32.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/304 intercepting circuit switched data communications lawful interception of wireless network communications H04W12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• 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 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

The present invention discloses a centralized, digital, computer-based telephone call management system for authenticating users of a telephone system in an institutional facility. The system includes the capacity to allow an institution to control, record, monitor, and bill and report usage and access to a telephone network. The telephone call management system further includes both accounting and management software for use in controlling, monitoring, billing, recording, and reporting usage and access. Also, it can operate over both a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) infrastructure.

Claims

1. An inmate telecommunication call processing system, comprising:

at least one telephone terminal at an institution for making a telephone call;

a central platform located in the institution for connecting the telephone call to an external party remotely located;

a server configured to receive the telephone call and telephone call data of the telephone data from the central platform, the server configured to log and record the telephone call data of the telephone call for a predetermined period of time;

an administrative workstation connected to the central platform via the server; and

a router configured to receive telephone signals generated by the telephone terminal and to transmit the telephone signals to a network using an internet protocol,

wherein the administrative workstation monitors a conversation in the telephone call without detection by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is connected to the central platform.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said central platform includes an apparatus for processing the telephone call.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the apparatus controls telephonic communication between the at least one telephone terminal and the router.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central platform includes the router.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the apparatus converts the telephone signals into the internet protocol.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the apparatus transmits information regarding billing for the telephone call to the administrative workstation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the telephone call is connected to the external party upon verifying identification information of the local user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the telephone call is connected to the external party upon authorizing the external party as an acceptable contact.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the internet protocol is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

11. An inmate telecommunication call processing system, comprising:

a plurality of institution sites, each institution site comprising;

a telephone terminal configured to place a telephone call to an external party based on user input; and

a gateway connected to the telephone terminal; and

a central site remotely located from the plurality of institution sites, the central site comprising;

a central platform configured to connect the telephone call to a remotely located external party;

a server configured to receive the telephone call and telephone call data of the telephone call from the central platform, the server configured to log and record the telephone call data of the telephone call for a predetermined period of time; and

a router connected to the central platform,

wherein the gateway is configured to receive the telephone call from the telephone terminal, and transmit the telephone call to the central site using an internet protocol.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the telephone call as a traditional telephone signal, and to convert the telephone call to the internet protocol.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the internet protocol is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a workstation connected to the central platform configured to perform at least one of monitoring, controlling, storing and billing related to the telephone call.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the router is configured to receive the telephone call from the gateway and forward the telephone call to the central platform.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway enables mixed environment operation.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the telephone call is connected to the external party upon verifying identification information of the user associated with the telephone call by the central platform.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the telephone call is connected to the external party upon the central platform authorizing the external party as an acceptable contact.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the central platform digitally records the telephone call.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the central site includes one router corresponding to each institution site.