Call processing with voice over internet protocol transmission

• US 8,000,269 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Spadaro, Thomas R., Rae, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, BEN H
• Application Number:
  US10/800,473
• Time in Patent Office: 2,710 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370351-356, 370/396, 370/398, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/269
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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

Disclosed are systems and methods which provide call processing for a plurality of telephones at a site for which calling services are provided. Call control functionality is distributed to remote locations using data networks according to embodiments. The aforementioned data networks and/or separate data networks are used to carry call content using voice over Internet protocols (VoIP). Embodiments utilize VoIP to carry calls from a location at which calling services are provided to a centralized call processing platform providing call processing functionality, such as calling party identification, call validation, call routing, and connection to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). PSTN interfacing by a call processing platform may be provided as a VoIP connection to the PSTN and/or as POTS trunking. Call processing platforms may provide for data sharing, aggregation, and/or analysis across multiple facilities served.

Claims

1. A call processing system for processing calls associated with a prison facility, comprising:

a first processor-based system coupled to a plurality of telephone terminals disposed within said prison facility, said first processor-based system transmitting first voice signals associated with one or more of said plurality of telephone terminals, wherein the first processor-based system comprises a first unauthorized call activity detector for monitoring fraudulent or unauthorized call activity associated with the calls; and

a second processor-based system communicating with said first processor-based system via a digital data link and disposed remotely from the first processor-based system, said second processor-based system configured to;

establish calls to called parties requested by the one or more of the plurality of telephone terminals;

convert the first voice signals for transmission over a carrier network responsive to receiving the first voice signals via the digital data link; and

convert second non-VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) voice signals from the called parties received via the carrier network to second VoIP voice signals for transmission to the first processor-based system via the digital data link; and

wherein the second processor-based system comprises;

a second unauthorized call detector for monitoring the second non-VoIP voice signals to detect the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity in the calls; and

a call processing platform for validating a billing limit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first voice signals and the second VoIP voice signals are transmitted between the first processor-based system and the second processor-based system via voice over Internet protocol data packets.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first processor-based system switches the calls based on control by said second processor-based system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor-based system performs call routing for the calls.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor-based system verifies personal identification number (PIN) of a caller placing a call by one of said plurality of telephone terminals.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor-based system processes billing associated with placing a call using said plurality of telephone terminals.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said second processor-based system comprises a call processing platform providing at least one of billing and routing associated with the calls made via said first processor-based system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said call processing platform provides at least one of billing, validation and routing associated with calls made via a third processor-based system disposed at another prison facility.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said first processor-based system comprises a voice over Internet protocol gateway coupled between the plurality of telephone terminals and the digital data link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said second processor-based system comprises a network edge device coupled to the digital data link.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said network edge device comprises a gateway between said digital data network and the carrier network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said carrier network comprises a public switched telephone network.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said network edge device comprises a voice over Internet protocol gateway.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity comprises a three-way call.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said second processor-based system performs speech recognition on the calls placed by the plurality of telephone terminals.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor-based system performs call monitoring and call recording on the calls placed by the plurality of telephone terminals.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor-based system discontinues the calls responsive to detecting the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity in the calls.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity is detected by applying silence detection techniques to the second non-VoIP voice signals.

17. A prison facility call processing system comprising:

a call processing platform communicating with a plurality of processor-based systems via digital data links, each processor-based system associated with a prison facility, the call processing platform located remotely from at least one of the plurality of the processor-based systems, said call processing platform being coupled to a carrier network and configured to;

establish calls from a plurality of telephone terminals in the plurality of process-based systems;

receive first voice signals from the plurality of processor-based systems via the digital data links;

send the first voice signals over a carrier network to called parties;

send second non-VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) voice signals from the called parties via the carrier network;

convert the second non-VoIP voice signals to second VoIP voice signals for transmission over the digital data links to the plurality of prison facilities; and

monitor the second non-VoIP voice signals to detect fraudulent or unauthorized call activity in the calls; and

a plurality of call processing gateways, each call processing gateway associated with a prison facility and configured to;

process the second VoIP voice signals for transmission to a plurality of telephone terminals in the prison facility and for detecting the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity in the calls,

generate the first voice signals responsive to receiving call signals from the plurality of telephone terminals, and

validate a billing limit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said digital data links provide voice over Internet protocol data communication between said plurality of prison facilities and said call processing platform.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said fraudulent or unauthorized call activity comprises a three-way call.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said call processing gateways provide interfacing between at least one analog telephone line interface and said digital data links.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said call processing gateways comprise voice over Internet protocol gateways.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said call processing gateways provide at least one local area network interface for coupling a computer workstation to said call processing platform via said digital data links.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the call processing platform discontinues the calls responsive to detecting the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity in the calls.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity is detected by applying silence detection techniques to the second non-VoIP voice signals.

23. A method for providing prison facility call processing in a centralized call processing system, said method comprising:

communicating with a plurality of processor-based systems via digital data links, each process-based system collecting call signals for establishing calls from telephone terminals in a prison facility, at least one of the processor-based system located remotely from the centralized call processing system;

receiving first voice signals collected by one of the plurality of processor-based systems via the digital data link;

converting the first voice signals for transmission over a carrier network;

receiving a second non-VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) second voice signal from the called party via the carrier network;

converting the second non-VoIP voice signal to a second VoIP voice signal for transmission over the digital data link to the one of the plurality of processor-based systems and for monitoring fraudulent or unauthorized call activity at the one of the plurality of process-based systems;

performing validation of a billing limit; and

monitoring the second non-VoIP voice signal for the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said fraudulent or unauthorized call activity comprises three-way calling.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

routing the call to the called party;

determining acceptance of the call by the called party, the call established responsive to the acceptance of the call by the called party; and

creating call billing information associated with the call.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising performing speech recognition on the call.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising recording the call.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising discontinuing the call responsive to detecting the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the fraudulent or unauthorized call activity is detected by applying silence detection techniques to the second non-VoIP voice signals.