System and method for controlling free phone calls through an institutional phone system
View Patent ↗A method of controlling free phone calls places from within a secured premises through an institutional phone system generally includes assigning a unique access identifier to an individual caller upon entry into the secured premises; receiving a destination number front the individual caller within the secured premises, the destination number being associated with a telephone located outside the secured premises; determining if the destination number is a per se free number, and, if the destination number is not determined to be a per se free number: receiving the unique access identifier from the individual caller; validating the unique access identifier; and, if the unique access identifier is valid, processing a telephone call to the destination number.
1. A phone system for managing telephone calls placed by a pre-processed caller, comprising:
a temporary access code database that stores a temporary access code, the temporary access code being a biometric obtained from the caller using a biometric sensor, the temporary access code being associated with an active flag that indicates whether the temporary access code is active or inactive; and
one or more processors and/or circuits configured to:
process a telephone call initiated by the pre-processed caller;
prompt the pre-processed caller to enter an access code;
compare the entered access code to the temporary access code;
allow the call when the entered access code matches the temporary access code and the active flag indicates that the temporary access code is active;
set the active flag to be inactive after a predetermined time has elapsed since the active flag was set to be active; and
process the caller to convert the caller from a temporary user to a long-term user, the process including:
establishing a long-term access code for the caller, the long-term access code being the biometric obtained from the caller using the biometric sensor;
determining that the long-term access code matches the temporary access code;
based on the determining, associating the telephone call initiated by the pre-processed caller with the long-term access code; and
setting the active flag to be inactive.
2. The phone system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
assign the temporary access code to the caller; and
set the active flag to be active upon assigning the temporary access code to the caller.
3. The phone system of claim 2 , wherein the temporary access code are further associated with a calls remaining field in the temporary access code database that indicates a number of free calls remaining,
wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to, while the active flag is set to be active:
decrement a value stored in the calls remaining field after allowing the call; and
set the active flag to be inactive after the value stored in the calls remaining field becomes zero.
4. The phone system of claim 1 , wherein the biometric is a voiceprint.
5. The phone system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
assign the temporary access code to the caller; and
set the active flag to be active upon a first call attempt by the caller after the temporary access code has been assigned to the caller.
6. The phone system of claim 5 , wherein the temporary access code is further associated with a calls remaining field in the temporary access code database that indicates a number of free calls remaining,
wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
decrement a value stored in the calls remaining field after allowing the call; and
set the active flag to be inactive after the value stored in the calls remaining field becomes zero.
7. The phone system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to, while the active flag is set to be active:
set the active flag to be inactive after a predetermined time has elapsed since the active flag was set to be active.
8. The phone system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
record the call in a call recording database; and
associate the recorded call with the temporary access code.
9. The phone system of claim 1 , wherein the temporary access code is further associated with a recycle time field in the temporary access code database that indicates when the temporary access code can be assigned to a new user,
wherein the processing further includes setting a value of the recycle time field to be a predetermined time after a time at which the active flag was set to be inactive, and
wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
compare a current time to the recycle time; and
assign the temporary access code to the new user when the current time exceeds the recycle time.
10. A method for managing telephone calls placed by a pre-processed caller, comprising:
storing a temporary access code in a temporary access code database, the temporary access code being a biometric obtained from the caller using a biometric sensor, the temporary access code being associated with an active flag that indicates whether the temporary access code is active or inactive;
processing a telephone, call initiated by the pre-processed caller;
prompting the pre-processed caller to enter an access code;
comparing the entered access code to the temporary access code;
allowing the call when the entered access code matches the temporary access code and the active flag indicates that the temporary access code is active; and
setting the active flag to be inactive after a predetermined time has elapsed since the active flag was set to be active;
processing the caller to convert the caller from a temporary user to a long-term user, the processing including:
establishing a long-term access code for the caller, the long-term access code being the biometric obtained from the caller using the biometric sensor;
determining that the long-term access code matches the temporary access code;
based on the determining, associating the telephone call initiated by the pre-processed caller with the long-term access code;
setting the active flag to be inactive.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
assigning the temporary access code to the caller; and
setting the active flag to be active upon assigning the temporary access code to the caller.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temporary access code is further associated with a calls remaining field in the temporary access code database that indicates a number of free calls remaining, the method further comprising, while the active flag is set to be active:
decrementing a value stored in the calls remaining field after allowing the call; and
setting the active flag to be inactive after the value stored in the calls remaining field becomes zero.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the biometric is a voiceprint.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
assigning the temporary access code to the caller; and
setting the active flag to be active upon a first call attempt by the caller after the temporary access code has been assigned to the caller.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, while the active flag is set to be active:
setting the active flag to be inactive after a predetermined time has elapsed since the active flag was set to be active.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the temporary access code is further associated with a calls remaining field in the temporary access code database that indicates a number of free calls remaining, the method further comprising:
decrementing a value stored in the calls remaining field after allowing the call; and
setting the active flag to be inactive after the value stored in the calls remaining field becomes zero.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
recording the call in a call recording database; and
associating the recorded call with the temporary access code.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processing the caller to convert the caller from a temporary user to a long-term user further includes associating the temporary access code with an account.