Granted Patent B2

US 10,063,698 · App. 15/469,442 · Granted Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. An inbound call system for handling inbound calls to inmate media and/or communications devices, the system comprising:

one or more inmate media and/or communications devices, each having a relatively unique hardcoded address identifier, and each configured to receive data to verify and re-verify authentication of an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device;

an inbound inmate call server configured to connect non-inmate inbound calls with corresponding inmate media and/or communications devices; and

an authenticating server configured to:

verify, using the data, authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device as associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device;

confirm that an inbound calling non-inmate is associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device the non-inmate is calling;

send a notification of a non-inmate call to the inmate media and/or communications device to the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device from the calling non-inmate;

receive, via the inmate media and/or communications device, after receipt of the notification, the same or other data to re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device the non-inmate is calling; and

re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, using the same or other data, as associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device prior to connection of the non-inmate inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device by the inbound inmate call server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein data to verify and/or re-verify authentication of an inmate comprises a personal identification number entered and/or reentered via the inmate media and/or communications device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the authenticating server is further configured to verify and/or re-verify the personal identification number is associated with an inmate to whom the inbound call is directed.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the personal identification number is entered and/or reentered via the inmate media and/or communications device by being spoken and/or respoken by the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device and the authenticating server is further configured to enter and/or reenter the personal identification number using speech recognition and verify and/or re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using voice recognition.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the personal identification number is entered and/or reentered via a touchscreen keypad displayed by the inmate media and/or communications device, the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture data related to at least one fingerprint during entry and/or reentry for receipt by the authenticating server, and the authenticating server is further configured to verify and/or re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using fingerprint recognition and the data related to at least one fingerprint.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the inmate media and/or communications device further comprises a camera and the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture and/or recapture image data of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device during entry and/or reentry of the personal identification number into the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server, and the authenticating server is further configured to verify and/or re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using facial recognition and the image data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein data to verify and/or re-verify authentication of an inmate comprises biometric data and the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture and/or recapture the biometric data.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the biometric data is the voice of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device and the authenticating server is further configured to verify and/or re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using voice recognition.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the biometric data is at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture and/or recapture data related to at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device during use of the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server, and the authenticating server is further configured to verify and/or re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using fingerprint recognition and the data related to at least one fingerprint.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the inmate media and/or communications device further comprises a camera, the biometric data is an image of the inmate using the inmate media and/or communications device, the inmate media and/or communications device is configured to capture and/or recapture image data of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device for receipt by the authenticating server, and the authenticating server is further configured to verify and/or re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using facial recognition and the image data.

11. A method for processing inbound calls to inmate media and/or communications devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via an inmate media and/or communications device, data for verifying authentication of an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device;

verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using the data as associated with a hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device;

confirming that an inbound calling non-resident is associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device;

sending a notification to the inmate media and/or communications device of a call to the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device;

receiving, via the inmate media and/or communications device, after receipt of the notification, the same or other data for verifying authentication of an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device;

re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using the data received after receipt of the notification as associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

connecting the non-inmate inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device as a result of authenticating that the non-inmate is associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device as associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data for verifying authentication of an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device is received by an authenticating server, the authenticating server verifying, using the data, the authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device as associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device, the authenticating server confirming that the inbound calling non-resident is associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device, the authenticating server receiving the same or other data for verifying authentication of an inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, the authenticating server re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, using the data received after the notification as associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein data for verifying authentication of an inmate comprises a personal identification number, and the method further comprises accepting entry and/or reentry of the personal identification number via the inmate media and/or communications device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising verifying and/or re-verifying that the personal identification number is associated with an inmate to whom the inbound call is directed.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

accepting entry and/or reentry of a spoken personal identification number;

entering and/or reentering the personal identification number using speech recognition; and

verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using voice recognition.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

accepting entry and/or reentry of the personal identification number via a touchscreen keypad displayed by the inmate media and/or communications device;

capturing data related to at least one fingerprint, by the inmate media and/or communications device, during entry and/or reentry; and

verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using fingerprint recognition and the data related to at least one fingerprint.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

capturing, by a camera of the inmate media and/or communications device, image data of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device during entry and/or reentry of the personal identification number into the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using facial recognition and the image data.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data for verifying authentication of an inmate comprises biometric data, and the method further comprises capturing and/or recapturing the biometric data by the inmate media and/or communications device.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the biometric data is the voice of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, and the method further comprises verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using voice recognition.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the biometric data is at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, and the method further comprises:

capturing and/or recapturing, by the inmate media and/or communications device, data related to at least one fingerprint of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device during use of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using fingerprint recognition and the data related to at least one fingerprint.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the biometric data is an image of the inmate using the inmate media and/or communications device, and the method further comprises:

capturing and/or recapturing image data of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device, using a camera of the inmate media and/or communications device; and

verifying and/or re-verifying authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device using facial recognition and the image data.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by one or more controlled-environment facility communications systems, cause the one or more communications systems to:

receive, via an inmate media and/or communications device, data associated with the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device;

verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device as an inmate associated with a hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device;

receive an inbound call from a non-inmate directed to the inmate and/or the inmate media and/or communications device;

confirm that the inbound calling non-inmate is associated with a hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device;

send a notification to the inmate media and/or communications device of the inbound call;

receive, via the inmate media and/or communications device, after receipt of the notification, the same or other data associated with the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device;

re-verify authentication of the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device as an inmate as associated with a hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device using the same or other data associated with the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device received after receipt of the notification; and

connect the non-inmate inbound call with the inmate media and/or communications device as a result of confirmation that the non-inmate is associated with a hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device and verification and re-verification that the inmate operating the inmate media and/or communications device is associated with the hardcoded address identifier of the inmate media and/or communications device.

Assignments (17)