Person-to-person calling accounts
Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for providing call connections between a calling party and a verified called party. A person-to-person account is identified for the called party. An answering party is prompted to provide identification information. The identification information is compared to data in the person-to-person account. The call connection is not completed unless the called party's identity is verified.
1. A call processing system, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute program instructions stored in the memory to cause the call processing system to implement:
a person-to-person engine configured to identify a person-to-person account corresponding to a destination telephone, wherein the call processing system is configured to complete a call connection between an originating telephone and the destination telephone if the person-to-person engine determines that an answering party at the destination telephone provides identification information matching information stored in the person-to-person account; and
an interactive communication engine configured to present a message to the answering party, the message configured to prompt the answering party to provide the identification information, and the message configured to exclude other information designated by the answering party.
2. The call processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message is configured to exclude an indication that the call connection originates from a jail or prison in response to the answering party having configured the person-to-person account to exclude the indication.
3. The call processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message is configured to exclude an indication of an identity of a prisoner or inmate operating the originating telephone in response to the answering party having configured the person-to-person account to exclude the indication.
4. The call processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message is configured to exclude an indication of a location of the originating telephone in response to the answering party having configured the person-to-person account to exclude the indication.
5. The call processing system of claim 1 , wherein the identity verification is selected from the group consisting of: PIN, code word, voice-biometric data, and facial recognition.
6. The call processing system of claim 1 , the processor further configured to execute program instructions stored in the memory to cause the call processing system to implement:
a billing engine adapted to identify a billing account for the calling party, wherein the call processing system is configured to complete a call connection between the originating telephone and the destination telephone if the billing engine identifies a valid billing account.
7. The call processing system of claim 1 , the processor further configured to execute program instructions stored in the memory to cause the call processing system to implement:
a call monitoring engine adapted to monitor the call connection.
8. The call processing system of claim 7 , wherein the call monitoring engine is configured to alert a monitor upon detection of an infraction by the calling or called party.
9. A method, comprising:
detecting when a request for a call connection to a called party is initiated by a calling party;
determining, using a person-to-person engine, whether a person-to-person account exists for the called party;
requesting, using an interactive communication engine, the called party to provide identity verification, wherein the request presents a message to the called party that excludes information selected by the called party as configured in the person-to-person account, the information including at least one of: an indication that the call connection originates from a jail or prison, or an indication that the calling party is a prisoner or inmate;
verifying, using the person-to-person engine, the identity of the called party; and
completing the call connection after the identity of the called party is verified.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
collecting identification information from the calling party.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing the called party with identification information from the calling party.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
recording the call connection between the calling party and the called party into a recorded call database.
13. A method for controlling a call connection between a calling party and a called party, comprising:
detecting, at a call processing system, a call initiation by the calling party;
identifying the calling party;
identifying a called number;
identifying a person-to-person account associated with the called number;
initiating the call connection to the called number;
requesting identity information from an answering party, wherein the request presents a message to the called party that excludes information selected by the called party as configured in the person-to-person account, the information including at least one of: an indication that the call connection originates from a jail or prison, or an indication that the calling party is a prisoner or inmate;
comparing identification information provided by the answering party to identification information in the person-to-person account; and
completing the call connection after verifying a match between the identification information provided by the answering party to identification information in the person-to-person account.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining billing information for the call connection;
verifying the billing information; and
charging an account identified by either the calling or called party.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identity information is a personal identification number (PIN), and wherein a person-to-person engine compares a PIN entered by the answering party to a PIN stored in the person-to-person account.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identity information is a code word, and wherein a person-to-person engine compares a code word entered by the answering party to a code word stored in the person-to-person account.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identity information is voice biometric data, and wherein a person-to-person engine compares speech spoken by the answering party to voice biometric data stored in the person-to-person account.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identity information is facial recognition, and wherein a person-to-person engine compares facial recognition by the answering party to facial data stored in the person-to-person account.