COMPUTER-BASED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING, MONITORING, RECORDING AND REPORTING TELEPHONE ACCESS

• US 20020071537A1
• Filed: 08/01/1997
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: T-Netix, Inc. (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: GAINSBORO, JAY L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,560,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/02 providing ringing current or supervisory tones, e.g. dialling tone or busy tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• 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 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• 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: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing institutional telephone activity utilizes a computer control unit to control a trunk management unit, which connects institutional telephones to outside telephone lines. The computer control unit contains a database for storing the calling privileges and restrictions of institutional users and for recording calling transactions made by the users. The computer control unit implements a prospective call screening feature whereby outside recipients of undesired calls from the institution may enter a code that directs the computer control unit to prohibit similar calls in the future.

Claims

1. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a first communication connection between an institutional caller and an outside recipient;

(2) blocking said first communication connection, while sensing tones present along said first communication connection;

(3) comparing said tones with a set of predetermined tones to determining whether to connect said institutional caller and said outside recipient;

wherein said comparing is to determine whether said outside recipient is attempting to bridge said first communication connection with a second communication connection.

2. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

(4) detecting a specific sequence of DTMF tones.

3. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said attempts are recognized and reported.

4. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said tones are dial tones.

5. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said tones are ring tones.

6. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said tones are busy tones.

7. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said tones are DTMF tones.

8. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said tones are SIT tones.

9. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein said tones are call progress tones.

10. A method of managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 1, wherein the cadence of said tones is detected.

11. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution, said apparatus comprising:

(1) a first communication connection between a caller and a called party;

(2) a tone monitor for monitoring said first communication connection, wherein said monitor is responsive to the occurrence of a pre-defined set of tones, and wherein said set of tones corresponds to attempts by said called party to connect said first communication connection with a second communication connection; and

(3) a call handler activated by said tone monitor for preventing said first and said second communication connections from being connected.

12. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said first communication connection is interrupted in response to the sensing of said tones.

13. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said attempts are recognized and reported.

14. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said tones are dial tones.

15. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said tones are ring tones.

16. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said tones are busy tones.

17. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said tones are DTMF tones.

18. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said tones are SIT tones.

19. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein said tones are call progress tones.

20. An apparatus for managing telephone activity in an institution according to claim 11, wherein the cadence of said tones is detected.