Telecommunication call management and monitoring system with voiceprint verification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016255189-A1
Application number	US-201615154645-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	Aug 8, 2002
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A secure telephone call management system is provided for authenticating users of a telephone system in an institutional facility. Authentication of the users of the telephone call management system is accomplished by using a personal identification number, biometric means, and/or radio frequency means. The secure telephone call management system includes accounting software capable of limiting access to the system based on funds in a user's account, and includes management software capable of implementing widespread or local changes to the system. The system monitors a conversation in the telephone call to detect a presence of a first characteristic in audio of the conversation, and terminates the telephone call if the first characteristic does not match a second characteristic of biometric information of a user or a called party.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for restricting access to a public communications network using a telephone call management system, the method comprising the steps of:
assigning a unique first identification number to a potential caller; recording a first voice print of the potential caller; storing the first voice print in association with the first identification number in a database; during an attempt to access the public communications network by the potential caller:
prompting the potential caller to input a second identification number;
first comparing the second identification number to the first identification number;
first determining that the first identification number and second identification number match based on the first comparing;
in response to the first determining:
recording a second voice print of the potential caller;
retrieving the first voice print from the database based on the association between the first voice print and the first identification number in the database;
second comparing the second voice print with the first voice print;
second determining that the first voice print matches the second voice print based on the second comparing; and
in response to the second determining, granting the potential caller access to the public communications network;

establishing a telephone call between the potential caller and a remotely located party; monitoring the telephone call to detect the presence of a three-way call attempt; third determining whether recording of the telephone call is permissible; recording, or not recording, the telephone call based on the third determining; and
detecting the presence of predetermined keywords in audio of the telephone call.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and the second identification numbers is a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the potential caller inputs the Personal Identification Number (PIN) using a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) keypad.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
during the access attempt to the public communications network by the potential caller:
receiving a dialed telephone number from the potential caller; and
receiving a list of telephone numbers the potential caller is allowed to dial.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising the steps of:
during the access attempt to the public communications network by the potential caller:
fourth determining that the dialed telephone number is on the list of telephone numbers the potential caller is allowed to dial;
wherein the establishing a telephone call between the potential caller and the remotely located party is performed in response to the fourth determining.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring includes monitoring the telephone call for a hook flash.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
sampling voice data from the telephone call; fifth determining that an unauthorized third party is speaking based on the sampled voice data.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the public communications network is a public telephone network.

9 . A method for restricting access to a public communications network using a telephone call management system, the method comprising the steps of:
assigning a unique first identification number to a potential caller; recording a first voice print of the potential caller; storing the first voice print in association with the first identification number in a database; during an attempt to access the public communications network by the potential caller:
prompting the potential caller to input a second identification number;
first comparing the second identification number to the first identification number;
first determining that the first identification number and second identification number match based on the first comparing;
in response to the first determining:
recording a second voice print of the potential caller;
retrieving the first voice print from the database based on the association between the first voice print and the first identification number in the database;
second comparing the second voice print with the first voice print;
second determining that the first voice print matches the second voice print based on the second comparing; and
in response to the second determining, granting the potential caller access to the public communications network.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
establishing a telephone call between the potential caller and a remotely located party; during the access attempt to the public communications network by the potential caller:
receiving a dialed telephone number from the potential caller;
receiving a list of telephone numbers the potential caller is allowed to dial; and
third determining that the dialed number is on the list;
wherein the establishing a telephone call between the potential caller and the remotely located party is performed in response to the third determining.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
during the access attempt to the public communications network by the potential caller:
receiving a dialed telephone number from the potential caller;
receiving a list of telephone numbers the potential caller is allowed to dial;
third determining that the dialed number is not on the list; and
disallowing any telephone calls between the potential caller and the remotely located party in response to the third determining.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
fourth determining that recording the telephone call is permissible; recording the telephone call in response to the fourth determining.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
detecting the presence of predetermined keywords in audio of the telephone call.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
monitoring the telephone call for an indication of a three-way call attempt; fourth determining that a three-way call has been attempted based on the monitoring.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the indication of a three-way call attempt is a hook flash.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the public communications network is a public telephone network.

17 . A method for restricting access to a public communications network using a telephone call management system, the method comprising the steps of:
assigning a unique first identification number to a potential caller; recording a first voice print of the potential caller; storing the first voice print in association with the first identification number in a database; during an attempt to access the public communications network by the potential caller:
recording a second voice print of the potential caller;
first comparing the second voice print with the first voice print;
first determining that the second voice print matches the first voice print based on the first comparing;
in response to the first determining:
prompting the potential caller to input a second identification number;
receiving the second identification number from the potential caller;
second comparing the second identification number to the first identification number;
second determining that the first identification number and second identification number match based on the second comparing; and
in response to the second determining, granting the potential caller access to the public communicatio

Assignees

• Global Tel Link Corp

Inventors

• Hodge Stephen Lee

Classifications

• H04M1/677

  Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers · CPC title

• H04M3/4211

  where the identifier is used to access a profile · CPC title

• G10L2015/088

  Word spotting · CPC title

• H04M2203/6054

  Biometric subscriber identification · CPC title

• H04M7/1295

  Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling · CPC title