IP Library Granted Patent US 10,085,126
Granted Patent B2
US 10,085,126 · App. 15/478,589 · Granted Sep 25, 2018

Inmate text communication via Wi-Fi radio

Inventor: Dave W. Hangsleben (Las Vegas, NV)
Assignee: Hank Technology LLC
H04W4/14H04M1/72577H04M3/2281H04M15/8221H04M17/206H04M2203/6018H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,085,126
App. No.
15/478,589
Granted
Sep 25, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Inmate text communication can include communicating a text message through a server via a Wi-Fi radio, where the Wi-Fi radio is associated with an active predetermined and unique telephone number selected from a group of reserved predetermined and unique telephone numbers.

Claims (33)

1. An inmate text communication system, comprising:

a mobile device;

a server; and

an inmate messaging device including a Wi-Fi radio that communicates a text message through the server with the mobile device via the Wi-Fi radio, wherein the Wi-Fi radio is associated with an active predetermined and unique telephone number selected from a group of reserved predetermined and unique telephone numbers, wherein the inmate messaging device is configured to accept or reject a text message sent from the mobile device to the inmate messaging device in response to an input to a user interface of the inmate messaging device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inmate messaging device does not include a cellular radio.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the text message includes at least one of:

a short message service (SMS) message; and

a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to prevent communication of the text message in response to a telephone number of the mobile device being included in a list of restricted mobile devices.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to store communication information corresponding to the communicated text message.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the communication information is at least one of searchable communication information and exportable communication information.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein communicating the text message further includes sending a text message, receiving a text message, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to prevent the inmate messaging device from communicating the text message at a predetermined time.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the active predetermined and unique telephone number is associated with a user of the inmate messaging device.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource to:

communicate a text message with a mobile device via a Wi-Fi radio of an inmate messaging device, wherein the Wi-Fi radio of the inmate messaging device is associated with an active predetermined and unique telephone number selected from a group of reserved predetermined and unique telephone numbers, wherein the inmate messaging device does not include a cellular radio; and

accept or reject a text message sent from the mobile device to the inmate messaging device in response to an input to a user interface of the inmate messaging device.

11. The non-transitory medium of claim 10 , including instructions to communicate the text message via the Internet.

12. The non-transitory medium of claim 10 , including instructions to communicate the text message in response to an account associated with the inmate messaging device having a sufficient monetary balance.

13. The non-transitory medium of claim 10 , including instructions to unlock the inmate messaging device in response to receiving a device password associated with the inmate messaging device and communicate the text message without receipt of an application level password in response to receiving an input to the inmate messaging device.

14. The non-transitory medium of claim 10 , including instructions to block the mobile device from communicating future text messages in response to a user input.

15. A method, comprising:

communicating, via a server, a text message between a Wi-Fi radio of an inmate messaging device and a mobile device without use of a cellular radio by the inmate messaging device, wherein the Wi-Fi radio of the inmate messaging device is associated with an active predetermined and unique telephone number selected from a group of reserved predetermined and unique telephone numbers;

accepting a text message sent from the mobile device to the inmate messaging device in response to an input provided to a user interface of the inmate messaging device prior to displaying message content of the accepted text message; and

rejecting a text message sent from the mobile device to the inmate messaging device in response to an input provided to the user interface of the inmate messaging device without displaying message content of the rejected text message.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method includes funding an account associated with the inmate messaging device by receiving, via the user interface of the inmate messaging device, funding via a funding mechanism.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method includes funding an account associated with the inmate messaging device by communicating, via the Wi-Fi radio of the inmate messaging device, a predefined funding request text message to the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method includes returning the active predetermined and unique telephone number to the group of reserved predetermined and unique telephone numbers as a returned telephone number.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method includes refraining from associating the returned telephone number with a different inmate messaging device for a predetermined period of time.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inmate messaging device is configured to display at least one of:

a name of an inmate associated with the inmate messaging device via the user interface of the inmate messaging device;

an account history, wherein the account history includes an account balance, funding transactions, messaging transactions, rental fees, credits, or combination thereof; display; and

contacts the inmate messaging device can communicate a text with.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2020
From: HANK TECHNOLOGY LLC
To: HANK TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 052579/0523 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2017
From: HANGSLEBEN, DAVE W.
To: HANK TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 041846/0182 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62497278 · Nov 15, 2016
Related Publication 20180139589A1 · May 17, 2018