Integration of cellular phone detection and reporting into a prison telephone system

• US 9,444,574 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Garth
• Primary Examiner(s): HTUN, SAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/096,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/40 Jamming having variable characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/80 Jamming or countermeasure characterized by its function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/205 Eavesdropping prevention - indication of insecurity of line or network
• 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: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present subject matter is directed to an apparatus and methodology for monitoring for the occurrence of use of unauthorized telecommunications equipment within a designated area. The present subject matter has particular utility to the corrections environment in that it discloses a methodology for detecting and reporting the unauthorized operation of cellular telephones within a corrections facility. The present technology may he used advantageously in combination with inmate telephone systems to transmit information to appropriate personnel in the form of email messages and/or voice communications by way of telephone local or corrections facility external telephone lines. The present technology also provides for recordation and storage of time, date and location information for detected events.

Claims

1. An inmate telephone system incorporating a cellular telephone detection system for detecting unauthorized cellular telephone usage within predetermined zones within a facility, comprising:

an inmate telephone call processing system;

a first cellular telephone transmission detector having a first zone of detection and configured to produce a first detection signal upon detection of a cellular telephone transmission within the first zone of detection without providing telecommunications services, the first detection signal indicating that the first cellular telephone transmission was detected within the first zone of detection, the first detection signal including information as to location of the first cellular telephone transmission detector;

a second cellular telephone transmission detector having a second zone of detection and configured to produce a second detection signal upon detection of the cellular telephone transmission within the second zone of detection without providing telecommunications services, the second detection signal indicating that the second cellular telephone transmission was detected within the second zone of detection, the second detection signal including information as to location of the second cellular telephone transmission detector; and

a cellular telephone detector processor having an interface device coupled to each of the first and second cellular telephone transmission detectors, the cellular telephone detector processor configured to;

receive the first and second detection signals;

compare the first detection signal with the second detection signal;

determine that the first detection signal and the second detection signal are indicative of the same detected cellular telephone transmission based on the comparison; and

transmit a notification message using the inmate telephone call processing transmit system,

wherein the notification message includes an identification of the detected cellular telephone transmission, a date and time of the detected cellular telephone transmission, and location information identifying the first zone of detection and the second zone of detection,

wherein the notification message is in a format selected from a group comprising of email messages, telephonic voice messages, text messages, and information records,

wherein the first cellular detector can adjust the range of the first zone.

2. The cellular telephone detection system of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio frequency jamming device configured to jam the source of the first or second cellular telephone transmission within the first or second zones of detection in response to the determination that the first detection signal and the second detection signal are indicative of the same detected cellular telephone transmission.

3. The cellular telephone detection system of claim 1, wherein the first and second cellular telephone detectors produce the first and second detection signals, respectively, upon detecting a non-cellular two-way communication.

4. The cellular telephone detection system of claim 1, the cellular telephone detector processor further configured to determine a location of a cellular telephone by using a triangulation methodology based on relative signals levels associated with the first and second detection signals.

5. The cellular telephone detection system of claim 1, wherein the location information is supplied based on data stored in the cellular telephone detector processor.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, execution of which by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first detection signal from a first cellular telephone transmission detector and a second detection signal from a second cellular telephone transmission detector without providing telecommunications services, the first cellular telephone transmission detector having a first zone of detection and configured to produce a first detection signal upon detection of a cellular telephone transmission within the first zone of detection, and the second cellular telephone transmission detector having a second zone of detection and configured to produce a second detection signal upon detection of the cellular telephone transmission within the second zone of detection, the first detection signal including information as to location of the first cellular telephone transmission detector, and the second detection signal including information as to location of the second cellular telephone transmission detector;

comparing the first detection signal with the second detection signal;

determining that the first detection signal and the second detection signal are indicative of the same detected cellular telephone transmission based on the comparison;

transmitting a notification message using an inmate telephone call processing system,

wherein the notification message includes an identification of the detected cellular telephone transmission, a date and time of the detected cellular telephone transmission, and location information identifying the first zone of detection and the second zone of detection,

wherein the notification message is in a format selected from a group comprising email messages, telephonic voice messages, text messages, and information records,

wherein the first cellular telephone detector can adjust the range of the first zone.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting a jamming control signal to a radio frequency jamming device that causes the radio frequency jamming device to jam the source of the first or second cellular telephone transmission within the first or second zones of detection in response to the determination that the first detection signal and the second detection signal are indicative of the same detected cellular telephone transmission.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first and second cellular telephone detectors produce the first and second detection signals, respectively, upon detecting a non-cellular two-way communication.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, the determining a location of the cellular telephone further comprising using a triangulation methodology based on relative signals levels associated with the first and second detection signals.

10. A computer-implemented method for detecting unauthorized cellular telephone usage within predetermined zones within a facility, the method comprising:

providing an inmate telephone call processing system

providing a first cellular telephone transmission detector having a first zone of detection and configured to produce a first detection signal upon detection of a cellular telephone transmission within the first zone of detection without providing telecommunications services, the first detection signal indicating that the first cellular telephone transmission was detected within the first zone of detection, the first detection signal including information as to location of the first cellular telephone transmission detector;

providing a second cellular telephone transmission detector having a second zone of detection and configured to produce a second detection signal upon detection of the cellular telephone transmission within the second zone of detection without providing telecommunications services, the second detection signal indicating that the second cellular telephone transmission was detected within the second zone of detection, the second detection signal including information as to location of the second cellular telephone transmission detector;

receiving a first detection signal from a first cellular telephone transmission detector and a second detection signal from a second cellular telephone transmission detector;

comparing the first detection signal with the second detection signal;

determining that the first detection signal and the second detection signal are indicative of the same detected cellular telephone transmission based on the comparison; and

transmitting a notification message based on at least one of the first and second detection signals,

wherein the notification message includes an identification of the detected cellular telephone transmission, a date and time of the detected cellular telephone transmission, and location information identifying the first zone of detection and the second zone of detection,

wherein the notification message is in a format selected from a group comprising email messages, telephonic voice messages, text messages, and information records,

wherein the first cellular detector can adjust the range of the first zone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a jamming control signal to a radio frequency jamming device configured to jam the source of the first or second cellular telephone transmission within the first or second zones of detection in response to the determination that the first detection signal and the second detection signal are indicative of the same detected cellular telephone transmission.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning the first and second cellular telephone detectors such that the first and second zones at least partially overlap.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning the first and second cellular telephone detectors such that first and second zones do not overlap.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second cellular telephone detectors produce the first and second detection signals, respectively, upon detecting a non-cellular two-way communication.