1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to telephone communications between inmates of correctional facilities and persons located outside of the facilities such as family and friends of the inmates. More particularly, the present invention relates to telephone communications methods and systems in which a person located outside of a correctional facility prepays for the cost of calls made from an inmate of the facility to the person. The present invention further relates to telephone communications methods and systems in which a person located outside of a correctional facility establishes a prepaid account from which funds are paid to a telephone service provider for the cost of calls made from an inmate of the facility to the person.
2. Background Art
Inmates of correctional facilities such as prisons typically do not have their own telephone services. Inmates rely on telephone services made available by the facilities in order to make telephone calls to persons such as family and friends located outside of the facilities. Inmates typically are limited with respect to when, how long, with whom, etc., they may make telephone calls. For example, inmates may be required to provide facilities with a list of persons (such as family and friends) that they would like to be able to call. In turn, the facilities review and approve each person and associated telephone number on the lists before the inmates are authorized to be able to establish telephone communications with these persons. Requiring such approved lists is to prevent inmates from making unauthorized telephone calls to persons such as victims, judges, law enforcement, etc.
Inmates generally lack access to funds with which to pay for telephone calls made by the inmates to persons outside of the facilities (i.e., the called parties). Prepaid calling cards and the like are generally not available to inmates. Thus, a problem associated with inmates making telephone calls to called parties is arranging payment to the telephone service provider for the calling costs.
A solution to this problem is for the inmates to make collect calls to the called parties. In this event, the telephone service provider subsequently bills the called parties for the costs of the calls. However, a problem for the called parties is that the costs of collect calls are typically much higher than the costs of ordinary calls. A further problem for both the telephone service provider and the called parties is that called parties in this market segment usually lack the resources for paying the costs of collect calls or do not have proper credit ratings to establish credit accounts with the telephone service provider. Thus, the telephone service provider causes the telephones of many called parties to be collect call restricted.
Collect calls are not enabled to be made to telephones having telephone numbers that are collect call restricted. In this case, the called parties having collect call restricted telephones do not have the option of designating calls from inmates as collect calls to be paid for by the called parties. As a result, if an inmate attempts to place a collect call from prison to a telephone number that is collect call restricted, then the call is not completed. In this case, the called party may be contacted and advised of the requirement to establish a prepaid account in order to receive calls from the inmate. The called party can then fund the prepaid account by the use of a credit/debit card or a check. However, again, a problem is that called parties in this market segment often do not have credit cards, checking accounts, etc., and therefore must use other non-popular payment methods (such as money orders and wire transfers) in order to fund their prepaid accounts. Such non-popular payment methods require more time and effort by the called parties to use to establish and fund their prepaid accounts and have relatively high transaction fees.
The inmate called party prepaid card method and system in accordance with the present invention has many advantages. In general, the method and system in accordance with the present invention provide an easier, more ubiquitous, and less expensive way in which a called party can fund a prepaid account which is used to pay for the costs of telephone calls made from an inmate to the called party. As a result, the number of called parties that establish such prepaid accounts will likely increase. In turn, telephone calls made by inmates to called parties which would not have otherwise been completed will be completed.
In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, a called party (i.e., a party to be or being called by an inmate of a correctional facility) purchases a prepaid card in order to fund a prepaid account. The prepaid account is administered by an administrator such as the telephone service provider that enables telephone services for the called party. Alternatively, the administrator may be a third party that is responsible for paying the telephone service provider for the costs of calls completed from the inmate to the called party. The called party effectively prepays for the calls made from the inmate to the called party by funding the prepaid account. Funds from the prepaid account of a called party are used to pay the telephone service provider for the costs of these calls made from an inmate to the called party.
In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, prepaid cards for funding prepaid accounts are made available to the called parties for purchase. For example, a called party is able to purchase a prepaid card from sources such as merchants and vending machines (which may be located in the correctional facilities and at other strategic locations). In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, the prepaid cards have a monetary face value such as $10, $20, $50, etc., and have an associated personal identification number (PIN).
After purchasing a prepaid card, the called party scratches off the prepaid card PIN (similar to regular prepaid cards), dials a toll-free number listed on the prepaid card in order to contact the administrator, and then provides the administrator with the prepaid card PIN and the called party's telephone number. The called party then transfers the monetary value of the prepaid card to the prepaid account of the called party using the telephone number of the called party as the prepaid account number.
Subsequently, when an inmate attempts to place a collect call from prison to the called party, an inmate call processor platform in accordance with the method and system of the present invention determines whether the telephone call is collect call restricted. If so, the inmate platform transfers the call attempt to a prepaid call processor platform in accordance with the method and system of the present invention. The prepaid platform determines whether a prepaid account is established and funded for funding the costs of calls made from the inmate to the called party. If so, the pre paid platform completes the call from the inmate to the called party. The prepaid platform monitors the duration of the call and then transfers funds from the prepaid account to the telephone service provider for payment of the calling costs. Alternatively, if the inmate knows that a prepaid account for funding calls between the inmate and the called party is already setup, then the inmate can initiate a prepaid call directly to the called party by dialing a special access code for direct access to the prepaid platform.
Referring now to
To this end, an inmate (i.e., the originating party or the calling party) uses telephone 14 (i.e., the originating inmate telephone) to initiate a telephone call as a typical collect call to a person located outside of the facility (i.e., a called party). In order to establish the telephone call, the inmate uses telephone 14 to dial the telephone number of telephone 16 belonging to the called party (i.e., the terminating called party telephone). In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, PSTN 12 is enabled to complete the call from inmate telephone 14 to called party telephone 16 if the called party has prepaid for the cost of the call.
Referring now to
Facility network 18 generally includes an inmate call processor platform 20 and a prepaid call processor platform 22. In general, inmate platform 20 is responsible for checking to see if a telephone number dialed by an inmate on inmate telephone 14 is an authorized telephone number for the inmate to call. That is, inmate platform 20 checks to make sure that an inmate using inmate telephone 14 to call a called party is authorized to make the call to the called party. Put in another way, inmate platform 20 ensures that a called party is on the approved calling list of the inmate when the inmate calls the called party. Another general responsibility of inmate platform 20 is to record telephone conversations made between inmate telephone 14 and any telephones 16 of called parties.
In general, prepaid platform 22 is responsible for enabling establishment and funding of prepaid accounts for paying the costs of telephone calls made by inmates using inmate telephone 14 to called party telephones 16. Prepaid platform 22 is responsible for validating prepaid cards which are purchased by called parties for funding the prepaid accounts of the called parties. Prepaid platform 22 is responsible for transferring the value of prepaid cards purchased by called parties to the prepaid accounts of the called parties. Prepaid platform 22 is responsible for determining whether a prepaid account is established and funded for telephone calls made by an inmate using inmate telephone 14 to telephone 16 of a called party. If so, facility network 18 enables a telephone call made by an inmate using inmate telephone 14 to be connected to telephone 16 of a called party. Prepaid platform 22 is further responsible for transferring funds from the prepaid account to a telephone service provider in order to pay for the costs associated with the telephone call made between the inmate and the called party.
Referring now to
The called party then uses a telephone and dials a toll-free telephone number listed on the prepaid card as shown in block 34. The toll-free telephone number is the telephone number of prepaid platform 22 of facilities network 18. As such, the called party telephones prepaid platform 22. During the telephone call with prepaid platform 22, the called party provides the prepaid platform with the telephone number of the telephone 16 of the called party at which the called party desires to receive telephone calls from an inmate. Prepaid platform 22 assigns the telephone number of called party telephone 16 as the account number of a prepaid account of the called party. In accordance with the present invention, funds from the prepaid account of the called party are used to pay for the costs of telephone calls made from the inmate to the called party. The called party further provides prepaid platform 22 with the PIN of the prepaid card and an inmate access code. The called party may interact with prepaid platform 22 by talking with a human operator or by following voice prompts such as used with interactive voice response (IVR) systems.
In turn, as shown in block 36, prepaid platform 22 validates the telephone number provided by the called party and validates the prepaid card PIN provided by the called party. Prepaid platform 22 validates the telephone number provided by the called party to ensure that it is the telephone number of a telephone 16 being allowed access to telephone calls from inmate telephone 14. Prepaid platform 22 determines if the prepaid card PIN is valid as shown in decision block 38. Prepaid platform 22 has access to a database which stores the PINs of valid prepaid cards. The PIN of a prepaid card identifies the prepaid card as being valid and identifies the monetary value of the prepaid card. If prepaid platform 22 determines that the prepaid card PIN provided by the called party is not valid, then the prepaid platform plays an “invalid PIN” message for the called party to hear and terminates the call with the called party as shown in block 40.
If prepaid platform 22 determines that the prepaid card PIN provided by the called party is valid, then the prepaid platform determines whether a prepaid account already exists for the called party as shown in decision block 42. If a prepaid account does not exist for the called party, then prepaid platform 22 establishes a prepaid account using the telephone number of the called party as the account number for the prepaid account as shown in block 44. Prepaid platform 22 then adds the monetary face value of the prepaid card to the prepaid account of the called party as shown in block 46. Prepaid platform 22 further associates any inmate access code provided by the called party with the prepaid account of the called party. If a prepaid account does exist for the called party, then prepaid platform 22 adds the monetary face value of the prepaid card to the prepaid account of the called party as shown in block 46.
Referring now to
In turn, prepaid platform 22 determines whether a prepaid account of the called party exists for funding the costs of the telephone call made by the inmate to the called party as shown in decision block 62. If a prepaid account does not exist for funding the costs of the telephone call made by the inmate to the called party, then prepaid platform 22 plays an “unable to complete call” message for the inmate to hear and terminates the telephone call as shown in block 64.
If a prepaid account does exist for funding the costs of the telephone call, then prepaid platform 22 determines whether the balance of the prepaid account is sufficient for paying for the costs of the telephone call as shown in decision block 66. If the prepaid account lacks a sufficient balance, then prepaid platform 22 plays an “unable to complete call” message for the inmate to hear and terminates the telephone call as shown in block 68. Prepaid platform 22 further sends an automated message to the called party advising the called party of the terminated telephone call and of the need of the called party to replenish funds into the prepaid account as shown in block 68.
If the prepaid account has a sufficient balance, then prepaid platform 22 completes the telephone call between inmate telephone 14 and called party telephone 16 thereby enabling the inmate to call the called party as shown in block 70. Prepaid platform 22 may additionally require prior to completing the telephone call that an inmate access code provided by the inmate or the correctional facility to inmate platform 20 at the time of making the telephone call to the called party matches the inmate access code associated with the prepaid account of the called party. Prepaid platform 22 monitors usage of the telephone call and decrements the balance of prepaid account accordingly to pay for the costs of the telephone call as shown in block 70. Prepaid platform 22 then creates and stores a call record of the telephone call as shown in block 72. Prepaid platform 22 transfers a copy of the call record to inmate platform 18 for the inmate platform to track as shown in block 72.
Referring now to
If not, then inmate platform 20 sends a query to prepaid platform 22 for the status of any called party prepaid account established and funded for paying the costs of the telephone call from the inmate to the called party as shown in block 90. In turn, prepaid platform 22 determines whether a prepaid account of the called party exists for funding the costs of the telephone call made by the inmate to the called party as shown in decision block 92. If a prepaid account does not exist for funding the costs of the telephone call made by the inmate to the called party, then prepaid platform 22 sends an “invalid account” response to inmate platform 20 as shown in block 94. In turn, inmate platform 20 plays an “unable to complete call” message for the inmate to hear and terminates the telephone call as shown in block 96.
If a prepaid account of the called party for funding the costs of the telephone call does exist, then prepaid platform 22 determines whether the balance of the prepaid account is sufficient for paying for the costs of the telephone call as shown in decision block 98. If the prepaid account lacks a sufficient balance, then prepaid platform 22 sends an “insufficient funds” response to inmate platform 20 as shown in block 99. Prepaid platform 22 further sends an automated message to the called party advising the called party of the terminated telephone call and of the need of the called party to replenish funds into the prepaid account as shown in block 99. In turn, inmate platform 20 plays an “unable to complete call” message for the inmate to hear and terminates the telephone call as shown in block 100.
If the prepaid account has a sufficient balance, then prepaid platform 22 sends an authorization back to inmate platform 20 to complete the telephone call from inmate telephone 14 to called party telephone 16 as shown in block 102. In turn, inmate platform 20 completes the telephone call, monitors usage of the telephone call, creates a call record, and sends call duration information back to prepaid platform 22 as shown in block 104. Prepaid platform 22 then creates the call record for tracking and decrements the balance of prepaid account accordingly to pay for the costs of the telephone call as shown in block 106.
While embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the present invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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