Inbound calls to intelligent controlled-environment facility resident media and/or communications devices

• US 9,420,094 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Balantrapu, Krishna, Keiser, Luke, Passe, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh
• Application Number:
  US14/872,953
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/201.07, 379/201.12, 379/265.01, 379/32.01, 379/93.02, 379/100.05, 379/142.05, 726/2, 726/4, 726/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8005 Flat-fee
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• 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 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services

Abstract

Inbound call processing systems and methods for processing inbound calls to controlled-environment facility resident media and/or communications devices employ an inbound resident call server configured to host inbound calling accounts established by non-residents, receive inbound calls from the non-residents, route the inbound calls to an authenticating server, confirm that the resident device is active, and connect the inbound resident call system with the resident device if active or inform the non-resident the resident is not available if not. The inbound resident call server also connects the non-resident inbound call with the resident device if the non-resident is associated with the inbound calling account, the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of the resident device and the resident'"'"'s personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the resident device, all of which may be authenticated by the authenticating server.

Claims

1. An inbound call system for handling inbound calls to inmate media and/or communications devices, the system comprising:

an inbound inmate call server configured to;

host inbound calling accounts established by non-inmates;

receive inbound calls from the non-inmates;

route the inbound calls to an authenticating server;

confirm that the inmate media and/or communications device is active;

connect the inbound inmate call system with the inmate media and/or communications device in response to confirming that the inmate media and/or communications device is active;

inform the non-inmate the inmate is not available for the inbound call in response to failure to confirm that the inmate media and/or communications device is active; and

connect the non-inmate inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device; and

the authenticating server configured to;

authenticate that a non-inmate is associated with an inbound calling account;

confirm that that the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device the non-inmate is calling;

receive, via the inmate media and/or communications device, a personal identification number associated with the inmate the inbound call is directed to; and

verify that the personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-inmate inbound call is connected with the inmate media and/or communications device by the inbound inmate call server as a result of the authenticating server authenticating that the non-inmate is associated with the inbound calling account, confirming that the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verifying that the personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the authenticating server is a part of the inbound inmate call server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inbound call from the non-inmate is directed to the inmate media and/or communications device and the inbound inmate call server intercepts the inbound call.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the inbound inmate call server hosts a central phone number for calls directed to inmate media and/or communications devices, and the inbound call from the non-inmate is directed to the central phone number and the inbound inmate call server is further configured to accept requests from non-inmates for calls into inmates.

6. A method for processing inbound calls to inmate media and/or communications devices, the method comprising:

establishing an inbound calling account for a non-inmate;

receiving an inbound call from the non-inmate at an inbound inmate call system;

routing the inbound call to an authenticating server;

authenticating by the authenticating server that the non-inmate is associated with the inbound calling account;

confirming by the authenticating server that the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of an indicated inmate media and/or communications device;

confirming, by the inbound inmate call system that the inmate media and/or communications device is active;

connecting the inbound inmate call system with the inmate media and/or communications device in response to confirming that the inmate media and/or communications device is active and informing the non-inmate the inmate is not available for the inbound call in response to failure to confirm that the inmate media and/or communications device is active;

receiving, via the inmate media and/or communications device, by the authenticating server, a personal identification number associated with the inmate the inbound call is directed to;

verifying, by the authenticating server, the personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

connecting the non-inmate inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device, by the inbound inmate call system as a result of authenticating that the non-inmate is associated with the inbound calling account, confirming that the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verifying that the personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the authenticating server is a part of the inbound inmate call system.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the inbound call from the non-inmate received in the inbound inmate call system is directed to the inmate media and/or communications device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the inbound call from the non-inmate is directed to a central phone number for calls directed to inmate media and/or communications devices, and the method further comprises accepting a request from the non-inmate for a call into the inmate.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the inbound call from the non-inmate is directed to a central phone number for calls directed to inmate media and/or communications devices, and the method further comprises accepting a request from the non-inmate for a call into the inmate media and/or communications device.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising charging a flat fee or time-based fee for the inbound call and/or periodically charging a subscription fee following establishment of the inbound calling account for the non-inmate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising decrementing the flat fee or time-based fee from an account associated with the non-inmate and/or periodically decrementing a subscription fee following establishment of the inbound calling account for the non-inmate.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising monitoring the inbound call.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring the inbound call comprises monitoring for impermissible activity.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring the inbound call comprises monitoring for keywords.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising tracking the inbound call.

17. The method of claim 6, further comprising recording the inbound call and storing a resulting recording of the inbound call.

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining if the non-inmate is on a personal allowed number list and/or a pre-approved contact list associated with the inmate.

19. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining if the non-inmate is on a personal allowed number list and/or a pre-approved contact list associated with the inmate associated with the inmate media and/or communications device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, cause the one or more communications systems to:

establish an inbound calling account for a non-inmate;

receive an inbound call from the non-inmate;

authenticate that the non-inmate is associated with the inbound calling account;

confirm that the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of an indicated media and/or communications device;

confirm that the inmate media and/or communications device is active;

connect the inbound inmate call system with the inmate media and/or communications device in response to confirming that the inmate media and/or communications device is active and inform the non-inmate the inmate is not available for the inbound call in response to failure to confirm that the inmate media and/or communications device is active;

receive a personal identification number associated with the inmate the inbound call is directed to;

verify the personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

connect the non-inmate inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device as a result of authenticating that the non-inmate is associated with the inbound calling account, confirming that the inbound calling account is associated with an address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verifying that the personal identification number is associated with the address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.