System and method for third party monitoring of voice and video calls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9609121-B1
Application number	US-201615093300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 7, 2016
Priority date	Apr 7, 2016
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A system is described herein that facilitates the monitoring of inmate communications. The system provides a remotely-accessible means for a reviewer to monitor a call between an inmate and another person. The system includes a monitoring server and a monitoring station. The monitoring server is configured to receive a call and call information from a communication center and process the call for monitoring, schedule a review of the call; and store the call, the call information, and scheduling data. The monitoring station is configured to receive the call and the call information from the monitoring server based on the scheduling data, and to display the identifying information and facilitate the review of the call.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monitoring server for remotely monitoring an inmate communication session, the monitoring server comprising:
a network interface device configured to communicate with a remote monitoring station; and
at least one processor configured to:
transmit the inmate communication session to the remote monitoring station;
monitor data received from the remote monitoring station;
monitor a reviewer of the inmate communication session located at the remote monitoring station based on the data received from the remote monitoring station including input data from the reviewer;
transmit, to the remote monitoring station, a verification command for the remote monitoring station to perform a monitor verification process after a predetermined amount of time that no input data has been monitored; and
receive, from the remote monitoring station, a response to the verification command.

2. The monitoring server of claim 1 , wherein input data at the remote monitoring station includes an annotation, a flag, or a bookmark related to the inmate communication session, and the input data at the remote monitoring station is stored and linked to the inmate communication session.

3. The monitoring server of claim 1 , wherein the response to the verification command is an indication of whether the verification process was completed by the reviewer using the remote monitoring station.

4. The monitoring server of claim 1 , wherein the verification command is a command for the remote monitoring station to display an input request for the reviewer.

5. The monitoring server of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate scheduling data, which includes data designating at least one reviewer and a corresponding remote monitoring station to review the inmate communication session.

6. The monitoring server of claim 1 , wherein the network interface device is further configured to communicate with a communication center, and the at least one processor is further configured to receive the inmate communication session from the communication center.

7. The monitoring server of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive an alert from the remote monitoring station.

8. The monitoring server of claim 7 , wherein the alert causes the at least one processor to send a communication from the remote monitoring station to an administrator device.

9. The monitoring server of claim 7 , wherein the alert causes the at least one processor to connect the remote monitoring station with an administrator device for a direct communication between the reviewer and an administrator.

10. A monitoring station for monitoring an inmate communication session, the monitoring station comprising:
a display;
an input device;
a network interface device configured to communicate with a remote monitoring server; and
at least one processor configured to:
receive the inmate communication session from the remote monitoring server;
display the inmate communication session so as to facilitate a review of the inmate communication session;
transmit data to the remote monitoring server for monitoring the reviewer, the data including input data from the reviewer;
receive a verification command from the remote monitoring server after a predetermined amount of time that no input data has been monitored by the remote monitoring server, the verification command causing the monitoring station to perform a verification process to monitor a reviewer's progress with regard to monitoring the inmate communication session;
perform a verification process in response to receiving the verification command, the verification process being performed according to a type of the verification command; and
transmit, to the remote monitoring server, a response to the verification command indicating whether the reviewer is monitoring the inmate communication session.

11. The monitoring station of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit input data including an annotation, a flag, or a bookmark related to the inmate communication session to the remote monitoring server.

12. The monitoring station of claim 10 , wherein the verification process is a request for the reviewer to perform an action.

13. The monitoring station of claim 12 , wherein the input device is a keyboard and the request is a request for the reviewer to input a response to a question or to input a verification code.

14. The monitoring station of claim 12 , wherein the input device is at least one of a camera or a microphone, and the request is for the reviewer to perform a biometric verification.

15. The monitoring station of claim 14 , wherein the biometric verification is at least one of a voice verification, a facial verification, or a retinal verification of the reviewer.

16. The monitoring station of claim 10 , wherein the response to the verification command is an indication of whether the verification process was completed by the reviewer.

17. A monitoring station for monitoring an inmate communication session, the monitoring station comprising:
a display;
an input device;
a network interface device configured to communicate with a remote monitoring server; and
at least one processor configured to:
receive the inmate communication session from the remote monitoring server;
display the inmate communication session so as to facilitate a review of the inmate communication session;
monitor input data from a reviewer;
perform a verification process to monitor a reviewer's progress with regard to monitoring the inmate communication session after a predetermined amount of time that no input data has been monitored; and
terminate the display of the inmate communication session based on a result of the verification process.

18. The monitoring station of claim 17 , wherein the input data includes one or more of an annotation, a flag, or a bookmark related to the inmate communication session.

19. The monitoring station of claim 17 , wherein the input device is a keyboard, and the verification process includes a request for the reviewer to input a response to a question or to input a verification code.

20. The monitoring station of claim 17 , wherein the input device is at least one of a camera or a microphone, and the request is for the reviewer to perform at least one of a voice verification, a facial verification, or a retinal verification.

Assignees

• Global Tel Link Corp
• Global Tel Link Corp

Inventors

• Hodge Stephen Lee

Classifications

• H04N7/141

  between two video terminals, e.g. videophone (telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085) · CPC title

• H04M2203/6054

  Biometric subscriber identification · CPC title

• H04M2201/41

  using speaker recognition · CPC title

• H04N7/155

  involving storage of or access to video conference sessions (tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831) · CPC title

• H04M3/42221

  Conversation recording systems (at the subscriber's set H04M1/656) · CPC title