Centralized call processing
View Patent ↗Disclosed are systems and methods which provide a centralized architecture for call processing. Embodiments utilize voice over Internet protocols (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). Call processing gateways may be utilized to provide plain old telephone service (POTS) analog line interfaces for use with a plurality of telephone sets disposed for use at a location and at least one wide area network (WAN) interface for providing high speed data communication to a centralized call processing platform. 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.
1. A centralized call processing system for providing call processing services to a plurality of prison facilities, comprising:
a networking device connected via digital data links to call processing gateways at the plurality of prison facilities to collect outgoing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) data packets associated with calls from the plurality of prison facilities and to distribute incoming VoIP data packets associated with the calls to the plurality of prison facilities, the plurality of prison facilities located remotely from the call processing gateways, each of the plurality of prison facilities including at least one telephone terminal;
an unauthorized call activity detection system co-located with the networking device and connected to the networking device for detecting three-way call activity associated with the calls placed from one or more of the plurality of telephone terminals, the three-way call activity detection not performed at the plurality of the prison facilities;
a call application management system co-located with the networking device and connected to the networking device and the unauthorized call activity detection system for at least processing the outgoing VoIP data packets from the plurality of prison facilities into outgoing call signals and transmitting the outgoing call signals to a first telephone carrier network, the call application management system receiving incoming call signals from the first telephone carrier network and processing the incoming call signals into the incoming VoIP data packets for distribution to the plurality of prison facilities by the networking device; and
a billing system co-located with said call application management system and located remotely from the call processing gateways, the billing system connected to the call application management system for providing accounting of the calls.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said call processing gateways comprise voice over Internet protocol gateways.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of said call processing gateways provide at least one local area network interface for coupling with a computer workstation.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said call application management system communicates with said first telephone carrier network using digital data packets.
5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a media gateway connected to the networking device for placing said calls on said first telephone carrier network using analog signals.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a call recording system connected to said call application management system for recording the calls.
7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a validation system co-located with said call application management system and located remotely from the call processing gateways, the validation system connected to said call application management system for authorizing connecting of said calls to said first telephone carrier network.
8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a justice application management system connected to the networking device for managing inmates at the plurality of prison facilities; and
a commerce system for managing commissary orders placed by the inmates at the plurality of prison facilities.
9. The system of claim 7 further comprising a call treatment system co-located with said call application management system and located remotely from the call processing gateways, the call treatment system connected to the validation system for communicating with a signaling network of said first telephone carrier network to determine whether a call forwarding feature is activated for call numbers associated with the calls.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein said justice application management system further provides investigative information with respect to said calls.
11. The system of claim 1 further includes interactive voice response functionality for providing messaging associated with processing of the calls.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first carrier network comprises a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) carrier.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first carrier network comprises a MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol) carrier.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first carrier network comprises the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the call application management system is further configured to process and transmit outgoing call signals from the plurality of telephone terminals to a second telephone carrier network, the call application management system selecting either the first telephone carrier network or the second telephone carrier network to transmit the call signals.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the call application management system establishes connection for the calls over the first telephone carrier network and switches to connection over the second telephone carrier network responsive to detecting a predetermined event.
17. A method for processing calls for a plurality of prison facilities, the method comprising:
a call processing system at a location collecting outgoing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) data packets associated with calls from the plurality of prison facilities via digital data links, the plurality of prison facilities located remotely from the call processing system, each of the plurality of prison facilities including at least one telephone terminal;
the call processing system processing the outgoing VoIP data packets from the plurality of prison facilities into call signals for transmission over a telephone carrier network;
the call processing system processing incoming call signals from the telephone carrier network into incoming VoIP data packets;
the call processing system detecting unauthorized three-way call activity associated with the calls, the plurality of prison facilities not detecting the unauthorized three-way call activity;
the call processing system distributing the incoming VoIP data packets associated with the calls to the plurality of prison facilities via the digital data links; and
the call processing system performing billing operations associated with the calls.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
coupling said call processing system to the telephone carrier network via an analog interface.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
coupling said call processing system to the telephone carrier network via a digital interface.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
recording the calls from the plurality of telephone terminals; and
analyzing content of the calls for particular utterances to determine presence of threats in the calls.
21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
selecting one telephone carrier network among a plurality of telephone carrier networks connected to the call processing system for processing and transmission of the calls responsive to receiving the calls from the plurality of telephone terminals.