US 11,381,623 B2Granted

Utilizing VoIP coded negotiation during a controlled environment call

AssigneeGlobal Tel*Link Gorporation

InventorStephen Hodge

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Controlled-environment communication systems are increasingly using voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to serve their users. VoIP allows voice to be sent in packetized form, where audio is encoded using one of several codecs. Because of bandwidth constraints, particularly during peak call times, codecs may be used which sacrifice audio quality for bandwidth efficiency. As a result, several features of communication systems, including critical security features. The present disclosure provides details for systems and methods by which a controlled-environment communication system may shift between codecs to perform security-related features or to alleviate bandwidth considerations. This involves the special formatting of control-signaling messages, including session initiation protocol (SIP) and session description protocol (SDP) messaging.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for validating a call setup request being served by a controlled-environment call processing system utilizing voice over internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

receiving, from an interface device, the call setup request indicating that an inmate calling party being served by the interface device requests a voice call with a called party proxy server;
creating a first voice connection with the interface device to serve the inmate calling party, wherein a first plurality of voice packets exchanged with the interface device is encoded using a first codec;
in response to the creating, determining that the call setup request is valid via a first biometric validation analysis;
in response to the determining that the call setup request is valid via the first biometric validation analysis, sending, to the interface device, an offer message to request using a second codec, in place of the first codec, to encode the first plurality of voice packets exchanged with the interface device;
receiving, from the interface device, an answer message indicating that the interface device accepts the second codec;
creating a second voice connection with the called party proxy server, wherein a second plurality of voice packets exchanged with the called party proxy server is encoded using the second codec;
establishing the voice call between the inmate calling party and the called party proxy server via the first voice connection and the second voice connection;
periodically initiating a codec renegotiation of encoding the second voice connection to use a third codec, the third codec being a high sound quality codec to perform real-time biometric analyses on the voice call;
and
after a period of time following the codec renegotiation, renegotiating encoding the second voice connection to use the second codec, the second codec being a bandwidth-optimized codec.

7 more elements

A system, comprising:

a memory;
a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) gateway, configured to:
receive, from an interface device, a call setup request indicating that an inmate calling party being served by the interface device requests a voice call with a called party proxy server;
create a first voice connection with the interface device to serve the inmate calling party, wherein a first plurality of voice packets exchanged with the interface device is encoded using a first codec;
in response to a validation server determining that the call setup request is valid, via a first biometric validation analysis, send, to the interface device, an offer message to request using a second codec, in place of the first code, to encode the first plurality of voice packets exchanged with the interface device;
receive, from the interface device, an answer message indicating that the interface device accepts the second codec, wherein the first plurality of voice packets exchanged with the interface device is encoded using the second codec;
create a second voice connection with the called party proxy server, wherein a second plurality of voice packets exchanged with the called party proxy server is encoded using the second codec;
establish the voice call between the inmate calling party and the called party proxy server via the first voice connection and the second voice connection;
periodically initiate a codec renegotiation of encoding the second voice connection to use a third codec, the third codec being a high sound quality codec to perform real-time biometric analyses on the voice call;
and
after a period of time following the codec renegotiation, renegotiate encoding the second voice connection to use the second codec, the second codec being a bandwidth-optimized codec;
and
the validation server, configured to:
in response to the VoIP gateway creating the first voice connection, determine that the call setup request is valid via the first biometric validation analysis by the validation server.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/907,443Filed 22 Jun 2020 · continuation
Priority: 22 Jun 2017
Published: US 2020/0322410 A18 Oct 2020
Granted: 5 Jul 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04L 65/765
Media network packet handling: intermediate
H04L 65/1045
Architectures or entities: proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
H04L 65/1069
Session management: session establishment or de-establishment
H04L 65/1104
Session protocols: session initiation protocol [SIP]

Family

Application15/630,759Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Jun 2017
Application15/937,233Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Mar 2018
US 9,930,088 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Mar 2018
US 2020/0322410 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Oct 2020
US 10,693,934 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0375914 A1Published application
US 11,381,623 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.