Release monitoring through check-in and tethering system
A check-in and tethering system for monitoring persons such as released in court-ordered supervised programs and a method for operating such a system is disclosed. The system includes a tethered mobile device that provides a check-in procedure that requires a response from a user of the tethered mobile device in the form of at least one of a device identifier from a monitored tethered device attached to the user, a biometric response, or a performed action by the user. The tethered mobile device determines whether the response is valid and transmits a notification to a monitoring center in response to the determination.
1 . A method for providing tethering-based monitoring comprising:
initiating, by a check-in application installed in a secure area of a file system of a tethered mobile device that is inaccessible to a user of the tethered mobile device and accessible by a monitoring center, a monitoring operation on the tethered mobile device for determining whether to initiate a check-in procedure by the tethered mobile device;
initiating, by the check-in application, the check-in procedure responsive to the monitoring operation, wherein the check-in procedure includes (i) a real-time verification request comprising at least one of a biometric real-time verification request, a picture real-time verification request, or a question real-time verification request and (ii) transmitting an automatic check-in request to a tethered monitoring device for a response comprising a device identifier that uniquely identifies the tethered monitoring device;
verifying, by the check-in application, the device identifier in the response by comparing the device identifier to an expected device identifier stored in the secure area, and determining whether a verification response to the real-time verification request is valid; and
restricting, by one or more restriction operations of the check-in application installed on the tethered mobile device, functions of the tethered mobile device until the check-in procedure is determined to be completed by the check-in application, wherein the one or more restriction operations include at least one of:
preventing closing of the check-in application,
preventing displaying another application by the tethered mobile device,
preventing access to a telephone function of the tethered mobile device, or
disabling inputs of the tethered mobile device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from a current location within a first predetermined time period, wherein determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from the current location within the first predetermined time period comprises:
receiving the first predetermined time period from the monitoring center, wherein the first predetermined time period comprises a time of day.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining whether a prior check-in procedure was performed within a second predetermined time period, wherein determining whether the prior check-in procedure was performed within the second predetermined time period comprises:
receiving the second predetermined time period from the monitoring center, wherein the second predetermined time period is a recurring scheduled time period.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the biometric real-time verification request comprises at least one of a fingerprint verification, a voice verification, and facial recognition, and wherein the method further comprises:
displaying, by the tethered mobile device, a graphical user interface for receiving a biometric input to the biometric real-time verification request;
transmitting the biometric input to the monitoring center; and
receiving a validation result of the biometric input from the monitoring center.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the picture real-time verification request comprises a request for the tethered mobile device to receive an image associated with the user, and wherein the method further comprises:
capturing, by a camera of the tethered mobile device, the image associated with the user;
transmitting the image to the monitoring center; and
receiving a validation result of the image from the monitoring center.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring operation includes one or more of:
determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from a current location within a first predetermined time period;
determining whether a prior check-in procedure was performed within a second predetermined time period;
determining whether the tethered mobile device is physically located outside of a defined area; or
determining whether to perform the check-in procedure on a random basis.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
waiting a predetermined response period for a response to the check-in procedure; and
transmitting an alert message to the monitoring center when the response to the check-in procedure is not received within the predetermined response period.
8 . A tethered mobile device, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the memory configured to store program code that when executed by the processor causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
initiating, by a check-in application installed in a secure area of a file system of the tethered mobile device that is inaccessible to a user of the tethered mobile device and accessible by a monitoring center, a monitoring operation on the tethered mobile device for determining whether to initiate a check-in procedure by the tethered mobile device;
initiating, by the check-in application, the check-in procedure responsive to the monitoring operation, wherein the check-in procedure includes (i) a real-time verification request comprising at least one of a biometric real-time verification request, a picture real-time verification request, or a question real-time verification request and (ii) transmitting an automatic check-in request to a tethered monitoring device for a response comprising a device identifier that uniquely identifies the tethered monitoring device;
verifying, by the check-in application, the device identifier in the response by comparing the device identifier to an expected device identifier stored in the secure area, and determining whether a verification response to the real-time verification request is valid; and
restricting, by one or more restriction operations of the check-in application installed on the tethered mobile device, functions of the tethered mobile device until the check-in procedure is determined to be completed by the check-in application, wherein the one or more restriction operations include at least one of:
preventing closing of the check-in application,
preventing displaying another application by the tethered mobile device,
preventing access to a telephone function of the tethered mobile device, or
disabling inputs of the tethered mobile device.
9 . The tethered mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from a current location within a first predetermined time period, and wherein determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from the current location within the first predetermined time period comprises:
receiving the first predetermined time period from the monitoring center, wherein the first predetermined time period comprises a time of day.
10 . The tethered mobile device of claim 9 , the operations further comprise determining whether a prior check-in procedure was performed within a second predetermined time period, and wherein wherein determining whether the prior check-in procedure was performed within the second predetermined time period comprises:
receiving the second predetermined time period from the monitoring center, wherein the second predetermined time period is a recurring scheduled time period.
11 . The tethered mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the biometric real-time verification request comprises at least one of a fingerprint verification, a voice verification, and facial recognition, and wherein the operations further comprise:
displaying, by the tethered mobile device, a graphical user interface for receiving a biometric input to the biometric real-time verification request;
transmitting the biometric input to the monitoring center; and
receiving a validation result of the biometric input from the monitoring center.
12 . The tethered mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the picture real-time verification request comprises a request for the tethered mobile device to receive an image associated with the user, and wherein the operations further comprises:
capturing, by a camera of the tethered mobile device, the image associated with the user;
transmitting the image to the monitoring center; and
receiving a validation result of the image from the monitoring center.
13 . The tethered mobile device of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
waiting a predetermined response period for a response to the check-in procedure; and
transmitting an alert message to the monitoring center when the response to the check-in procedure is not received within the predetermined response period.
14 . The tethered mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the monitoring operation includes one or more of:
determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from a current location within a first predetermined time period;
determining whether a prior check-in procedure was performed within a second predetermined time period;
determining whether the tethered mobile device is physically located outside of a defined area; or
determining whether to perform the check-in procedure on a random basis.
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor in a tethered mobile device, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
initiating, by a check-in application installed in a secure area of a file system of the tethered mobile device that is inaccessible to a user of the tethered mobile device and accessible by a monitoring center, a monitoring operation on the tethered mobile device for determining whether to initiate a check-in procedure by the tethered mobile device;
initiating, by the check-in application, the check-in procedure responsive to the monitoring operation, wherein the check-in procedure includes (i) a real-time verification request comprising at least one of a biometric real-time verification request, a picture real-time verification request, or a question real-time verification request and (ii) transmitting an automatic check-in request to a tethered monitoring device for a response comprising a device identifier that uniquely identifies the tethered monitoring device;
verifying, by the check-in application, the device identifier in the response by comparing the device identifier to an expected device identifier stored in the secure area, and determining whether a verification response to the real-time verification request is valid; and
restricting, by one or more restriction operations of the check-in application installed on the tethered mobile device, functions of the tethered mobile device until the check-in procedure is determined to be completed by the check-in application, wherein the restriction operations include at least one of:
preventing closing of the check-in application,
preventing displaying another application by the tethered mobile device,
preventing access to a telephone function of the tethered mobile device, or
disabling inputs of the tethered mobile device.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from a current location within a first predetermined time period, and wherein determining whether the tethered mobile device has physically moved from the current location within the first predetermined time period comprises:
receiving the first predetermined time period from the monitoring center, wherein the first predetermined time period comprises a time of day.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether a prior check-in procedure was performed within a second predetermined time period, and wherein determining whether the prior check-in procedure was performed within the second predetermined time period comprises:
receiving the second predetermined time period from the monitoring center, wherein the second predetermined time period is a recurring scheduled time period.
18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the biometric real-time verification request comprises at least one of a fingerprint verification, a voice verification, and facial recognition, and wherein the operations further comprise:
displaying, by the tethered mobile device, a graphical user interface for receiving a biometric input to the biometric real-time verification request;
transmitting the biometric input to the monitoring center; and
receiving a validation result of the biometric input from the monitoring center.
19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the picture real-time verification request comprises a request for the tethered mobile device to receive an image associated with the user, and wherein the operations further comprises:
capturing, by a camera of the tethered mobile device, the image associated with the user;
transmitting the image to the monitoring center; and
receiving a validation result of the image from the monitoring center.
20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
waiting a predetermined response period for a response to the check-in procedure; and
transmitting an alert message to the monitoring center when the response to the check-in procedure is not received within the predetermined response period.