Electronic messaging exchange

• US 9,923,932 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen, Woody, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US15/620,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20170279857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for secure electronic message exchange including coupling a control platform to a workstation of a plurality of workstations via a communications medium, where the control platform includes one or more apparatuses for monitoring, controlling, conversion, and billing, related to messages exchanged between a plurality of local users and a plurality of remote users. The system prevents forwarding or copying of a message sent by a local user of the plurality of local users and received by a remote user of the plurality of remote users, to another party by the control platform. The system and method also provides for authenticating the remote user with the control platform.

Claims

1. A secure electronic message exchange system comprising:

a multifunction unit comprising a document scanner, the multifunction unit configured to;

receive a message from a first user, the message being designated for delivery to a second user and transcribed on a scannable physical document, wherein the message comprises alphanumeric characters, and

scan the message using the document scanner; and

a control platform in electronic communication with the multifunction unit, the control platform configured to;

receive the scanned message from the multifunction unit,

perform optical character recognition (OCR) on the scanned message,

identify, from the OCR of the scanned message, an account number of the second user;

obtain account information related to the second user from a database, based on the identified account number of the second user;

determine, from the obtained account information related to the second user, an email address related to the second user;

perform a security check on the OCR of the scanned message, the security check comprising;

performing a keyword search of the OCR of the scanned message and

determining whether the OCR of the scanned message contains any prohibited language, and

transmit either the OCR of the scanned message or the scanned message to the second user, using the email address of the second user, in response to the OCR of the scanned message passing the security check,

wherein the control platform is further configured to notify a system administrator in response to the OCR of the scanned message failing the security check.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user is an inmate at a correctional facility.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the account number of the second user is an identification number associated with the second user.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database in electronic communication with the control platform, wherein the database is configured to store at least one of the scanned message or the OCR of the scanned message.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an administrative workstation configured to provide the system administrator access to review at least one of the scanned message or the OCR of the scanned message.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inmate workstation configured to receive login information from the second user, authenticate the second user based on the received login information, and display the transmitted message after the second user has been authenticated.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the inmate workstation is a safe terminal configured to access secure communications platform software only and block the second user from accessing the internet.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a message from a first user, the message being designated for delivery to a second user and is transcribed on a scannable physical document, wherein the message comprises hand-written characters, typed characters, or a combination thereof;

scanning the message using a document scanner of a multifunction unit;

receiving the scanned message at a control platform that is in electronic communication with the multifunction unit;

performing optical character recognition (OCR) on the scanned message;

identifying, from the OCR of the scanned message, an account number of the second user;

obtaining account information related to the second user from a database, based on the identified account number of the second user;

determining, from the obtained account information related to the second user, an email address related to the second user;

performing a security check on the OCR of the scanned message, the security check comprising;

performing a keyword search of the OCR of the scanned message and

determining whether the OCR of the scanned message contains any prohibited language;

transmitting either the OCR of the scanned message or the scanned message to the second user, using the email address of the second user, in response to the OCR of the scanned message passing the security check; and

notifying a system administrator in response to the OCR of the scanned message failing the security check.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second user is an inmate at a correctional facility.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the account number of the second user is an identification number associated with the second user.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing at least one of the scanned message or the OCR of the scanned message in a database, wherein the database is in electronic communication with the control platform.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing access to the system administrator to review at least one of the scanned message or the OCR of the scanned message using an administrative workstation.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving login information from the second user at an inmate workstation, authenticating the second user based on the received login information at the inmate workstation, and displaying the transmitted message at the inmate workstation after the second user has been authenticated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inmate workstation is a safe terminal configured to access secure communications platform software only and block the second user from accessing the internet.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a message from a first user, the message being designated for delivery to a second user and is transcribed on a scannable physical document, wherein the message comprises hand-written characters, typed characters, or a combination thereof;

scanning the message using a document scanner of a multifunction unit;

performing optical character recognition (OCR) on the scanned message;

identifying, from the OCR of the scanned message, an account number of the second user;

obtaining account information related to the second user from a database, based on the identified account number of the second user;

determining, from the obtained account information related to the second user, an email address related to the second user;

performing a security check on the OCR of the scanned message, the security check comprising;

performing a keyword search of the OCR of the scanned message and

determining whether the OCR of the scanned message contains any prohibited language;

transmitting either the OCR of the scanned message or the scanned message to the second user, using the obtained account information or the email address of the second user, in response to the OCR of the scanned message passing the security check; and

notifying a system administrator in response to the OCR of the scanned message failing the security check.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second user is an inmate at a correctional facility.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the account number of the second user is an identification number associated with the second user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising storing at least one of the scanned message or the OCR of the scanned message in a database, wherein the database is in electronic communication with a control platform.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising providing access to the system administrator to review at least one of the scanned message or the OCR of the scanned message using an administrative workstation.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving login information from the second user at an inmate workstation, authenticating the second user based on the received login information at the inmate workstation, and displaying the transmitted message at the inmate workstation when the second user has been authenticated, wherein the inmate workstation is a safe terminal configured to access secure communications platform software only and block the second user from accessing the internet.