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US 2017/0324991 A1Published application
Controlled environment media and communication system
AssigneeGlobal Tel*Link Corporation
InventorStephen L. HODGE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The Controlled Environment Media And Communication System delivers communications services to residents of controlled facilities using a common network architecture. Some of the communications capabilities of the Controlled Environment Media And Communication System include media distribution, video visitation, intra-facility messaging, and other such communications services.
Claims30
A media and communication system comprising:
- a media access device located within a controlled environment;
- an internal network of the controlled environment partitioned into a plurality of network segments, wherein each of the plurality of network segments is physically separate from one another, and each of the plurality of physically separate network segments provides a corresponding access level in a security hierarchy of the internal network, the security hierarchy including a first security access level, a second security access level, and a third security access level, wherein the internal network is configured to make access unavailable to each of the second security access level and the third security access level in response to a prospective access request from a physical location associated with the first security access level;
- a media distribution server coupled to the internal network and configured to receive media from a media source and to distribute the received media to the media access device by way of one of the first security access level, the second security access level, or the third security access level of the internal network based on a physical access location of the media access device;
- an authentication system coupled to the internal network and configured to authenticate a prospective user requesting access via one of the plurality of physically separate network segments supporting access for the prospective user;
- a video visitation server coupled to the internal network via the second security access level and configured to conduct a video visitation session between a first user at the media access device and a second user at a video visitation endpoint;
- and
- an administrative workstation coupled to the internal network via the third security access level and configured to manage the media received by the media distribution server, the video visitation session conducted by the video visitation server, and access to the media and the video visitation session by the media access device, the administrative workstation further configured to control the media access device to provide instructions from an administrator to the first user via a speaker of the media access device.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a media distribution server, media from a media source;
- selectively distributing, by the media distribution server, the received media to a media access device located within a controlled environment via one of a first security access level, a second security access level, or a third security access level of an internal network of the controlled environment based on a physical access location of the media access device, the internal network partitioned into a plurality of network segments, wherein each of the plurality of network segments is physically separate from one another, and each of the plurality of physically separated network segments provides a corresponding access level in a security hierarchy of the internal network, the security hierarchy including the first security access level, the second security access level, and the third security access level, wherein the internal network is configured to make access unavailable to each of the second security access level and the third security access level in response to a prospective access request from a physical location associated with the first security access level;
- authenticating, by an authentication system coupled to the internal network, a prospective user requesting access via one of the plurality of physically separate network segments supporting access for the prospective user;
- selectively conducting, by a video visitation server, a video visitation session between a first user at the media access device and a second user at a video visitation endpoint, wherein the video visitation server is coupled to the internal network via the second security access level;
- managing, by an administrative workstation, the media received by the media distribution server, the video visitation session conducted by the video visitation server, and access to the media and the video visitation session by the media access device, wherein the administrative workstation is coupled to the internal network via the third security access level;
- controlling, by the administrative workstation, the media access device to provide instructions from an administrator to the first user via a speaker of the media access device.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.