COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SECURED FACILITY

Methods for managing data communications with a secured facility are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the methods include the step of communicating data between a communication device located within the secured facility and an object located external of the secured facility via a communication pathway. The methods include the step of controlling the communicating of the data between the communication device and the object by a vendor included in the communication pathway, and the step of collecting at least portions of data communicated between the communication device, the vendor, and the object by an auditor into an auditor CDR independent of the vendor, the auditor being in communication with the communication pathway. Related apparatus and compositions of matter are also disclosed herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to communication systems, and, more particularly, to communication systems and related methods of communicating from secured facilities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Users of communication services within a secured facility may be held captive to a single vendor for communication services such as telephone communication. The users may be subject to fee gouging, inferior service, and other abuses by the vendor because the vendor is neither subject to consumer protection requirements nor subject to the forces of a competitive marketplace. The secured facility may be, for example, a detention facility such as a jail, brig, stockade, prison, immigration detention facility, psychiatric hospital, or addiction treatment facility. Users may be, for example, inmates within the detention facility. Inmates may include, for example, persons held in the detention facility while either awaiting trial, awaiting deportation, or serving a sentence. Inmates may include, for example, persons detained in the psychiatric hospital or addiction treatment facility. As additional examples, the secured facility may be a military installation, secured government facility, or secured commercial facility such as a corporate research center or defense plant. Users may include personnel within the military installation, secured government facility, or secured commercial facility. Such personnel may include, for example, persons holding a government security clearance or private sector equivalent, and the government security clearance or private sector equivalent may be required for access to the secured government facility or secured commercial facility.

The U.S. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) currently regulates certain interstate prison telephone calls. In March of 2018, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a Senate bill, the “Inmate Calling Technical Corrections Act of 2018”, that restores federal authority to crack down on what prison reform advocates term the usurious, abusive, and exploitative business practices engaged in by various companies that service the U.S. prison telephone industry. Secured facilities may be required to monitor charges by vendors in order to comply with FCC regulations and any provisions of the “Inmate Calling Technical Corrections Act of 2018” or other such reform legislation that passes into law. The FCC does not have authority to regulate certain intrastate prison telephone communications, which may be regulated by state authorities.

The types of communication services offered to users are being increased. Accordingly, communication services include not only analog telephone communications (PSTN/POTs) but also network cloud based digital communications such as voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communications, video communications, email, and web-based communications including banking transactions such as deposits to and payments from a bank account. Such network cloud based digital communications may evade federal regulation, state regulation, various facility rules governing communications from the secured facility, court orders governing communications from a particular user, and otherwise evade auditing or control. Such evasions may have a direct negative impact on local, state and federal communication taxes. For example, network cloud based digital communications may make it nearly impossible to reconcile tax revenue, confirm the occurrence of required communication events, or confirm the occurrence of prioritized communication events.

Some vendors prevent access to communication event metadata records of communication events that may be needed in order for the secured facility to conduct the auditing required for compliance with, for example, statues, regulations, and court orders. A communication event metadata record (CDR) is created as a product of a communication event such as a discrete set of analog or digital communications by a particular user. CDR's may include, for example, the time of the communication event, type of communication event (such as email, video, telephone), and recipient of the communication event. CDR's, as used herein, may include records of the content of the communication event such as audio recording or text including other data communicated during the communication event. Without access to CDR's, it is impossible for anyone, other than the single-source vendor, to audit vendor deductions from the user's bank account for communication services or to analyze elements of the user's communication events such as time talked, telephone number called, time video visited, classes taken, coursework submitted, taxes paid, etc.

Furthermore, without access to CDR's, it is impossible to authenticate that rules governing users' communication events are actually being enforced by the vendor. These rules, for example, may be promulgated by the secured facility, law enforcement, or court order, and are not to be ignored. Such rules may include, for example, limitations on time-of-day of communication event, duration of communication event, allowed recipients of communication event, blocked recipients of communication event, cost of communication event, non-recording of certain confidential communication events such as attorney-client communications, and type of communication event. Vendors charge different taxes, rates, and fees at the end of each communication event. Regulated communication events are governed by different tax rules than non-regulated communication events, and it is impossible to determine vendor compliance with the tax rules without access to the CDR's. Furthermore, communication events conducted by indigent users are paid for by government funds, and it is impossible to audit these expenditures of government funds without access to the CDR's.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved communication management systems for secured facilities, as well as related methods, and compositions of matter.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other needs and disadvantages may be overcome by the communication management systems, related methods, and related compositions of matter disclosed herein. Additional improvements and advantages may be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of the present disclosure.

Methods for managing data communication with a secured facility are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the methods include the step of communicating data between a communication device located within the secured facility and an object located external of the secured facility via a communication pathway. The methods include the step of controlling the communicating of the data between the communication device and the object by a vendor included in the communication pathway, and the step of collecting at least portions of data communicated between the communication device, the vendor, and the object by an auditor into an auditor CDR independent of the vendor, the auditor being in communication with the communication pathway. The methods may include the step of determining that the communication of data between the communication device and the object complies with auditor rules. The auditor rules may be specific to a user of the communication device, and the auditor rules may be specific to the object. Payment received by the vendor for communication of the data may be included in the auditor CDR and may be tested for compliance with rules included in the auditor rules.

Related communication management systems for data communication with a user located within a secured facility are also disclosed herein. Compositions of matter that include non-transitory computer readable media storing a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the steps of the methods for managing data communications with a secured facility are also disclosed herein.

This summary is presented to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the methods, related apparatus, and related compositions of matter disclosed herein as a prelude to the detailed description that follows below. Accordingly, this summary is not intended to identify key elements of the methods, apparatus, and compositions of matter disclosed herein or to delineate the scope thereof.

The Figures are exemplary only, and the implementations illustrated therein are selected to facilitate explanation. The Figures including the apparatus, methods, and compositions of matter illustrated in the Figures are not to be considered limiting unless expressly so stated. For example, the components of various apparatus illustrated in the Figures may be selected for explanatory purposes, and the components may be grouped in the Figures in various ways to facilitate description, so that the apparatus may include various other components or the components may be grouped in various other ways, in other implementations. The steps in the various methods illustrated in the Figures, for example, may be performed in other orders, or the steps in the various methods may be divided or subdivided in various ways, in other implementations. Information flows and process flows in the Figures included herein are indicated by arrows, and are selected for explanatory purposes. It should be understood that other information flows may occur between various components and that other process flows may occur, in various other implementations. The number, position, relationship and dimensions of the elements shown in the Figures to form the various implementations described herein are explained herein or are understandable to a person of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. Where used in the various Figures, the same numerals designate the same or similar elements. Furthermore, when the terms “top,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “forward,” “rear,” “first,” “second,” “inside,” “outside,” and similar terms are used, the terms should be understood in reference to the orientation of the implementations shown in the Figures and are utilized to facilitate description thereof. Use herein of relative terms such as generally, about, approximately, essentially, may be indicative of engineering, manufacturing, computational, or scientific tolerances such as ±0.1%, ±1%, ±2.5%, ±5%, or other such tolerances, as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A communication management system is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the communication management system may include a communication device located within a secured facility. The communication device is in networked communication via a communication pathway with an object for the communication of data between the communication device and the object via the communication pathway, in various aspects. The object includes a digital device, and the object is located external of a secured facility, in various aspects. In various aspects, a vendor is included in the communication pathway that acts as intermediary for the communication of data between the communication device and the object. The vendor controls the communication of data between the communication device and the object, and the vendor charges a fee for the communication of the data, in various aspects. An auditor is in communication with the communication pathway to collect at least portions of data communicated between the communication device, the vendor, and the object into an auditor CDR independently of the vendor, in various aspects. The auditor is independent of the vendor, so that, for example, the vendor does not control the auditor, in various aspects. In various aspects, the vendor and the auditor are each operated by independent entities (e.g. corporation, government agency) and the auditor generates the auditor CDR without cooperating with the vendor. For example, the auditor and a superuser may be operated by the secured facility and the vendor as an entity independent of the facility may provide communication of data to the facility. The auditor CDR may be analyzed subsequently by the superuser independent of the vendor, and the superuser may control the auditor, in various aspects.

In certain aspects, the communication management system includes a vendor manager that allows a user of the communication device to select the vendor from among several vendors offered by the vendor manager as choices to the user. The user may be, for example, an inmate at a detention facility as the secured facility. Accordingly, in such aspects, the user has a choice of vendors, and the user may select the vendor based upon pricing or quality of service in a competitive marketplace. The user is not captive to one single vendor, in such aspects. The competitive marketplace may motivate vendors to provide improved quality of service at a lower price. The vendor manager is independent of the several vendors, so that the several vendors do not control the vendor manager, in various aspects. The superuser may control the vendor manager, in various aspects.

Multiple users may communicate data with multiple objects via multiple vendors in various combinations in generally simultaneous communication events, in various aspects. Each communication event of the multiple users may be captured by the auditor for analysis by the superuser.

Communication management systems disclosed herein may include various methods implemented in operable software and may include various apparati that may implement the various method steps of the various methods. Compositions of matter disclosed herein include non-transitory media that includes computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computers to function as at least portions of the apparatus disclosed herein or to implement method steps of the methods disclosed herein.

Software may be, for example, in the form of high-level code such as C or Java, or may be in the form of machine code. In some aspects, the software may execute on one computer. In other aspects, two or more computers may communicate with one another via network, and the software may be organized in various ways such that portions of the software may be distributed operatively over the two or more computers to be executed by the two or more computers. Although generally described as implemented by software, the methods disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software in various aspects. As would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure, the methods, apparatus, and compositions of matter disclosed herein may be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by processors that are linked by network. A nominal representation of data may either be the data itself or a pointer, description, or other data that may be used to create the data.

As used herein, computer includes a computer with one or more processors that may, in various aspects, include memory, display, mouse, keyboard, data storage device(s), I/O device(s), and so forth. Computer may include, for example, single-processor or multiprocessor computers, minicomputers, mainframe computers, as well as personal computers, hand-held computing devices, mobile devices, cellular telephones, smartphones, tablets, and other processor-based devices. Display includes, for example, computer screen, video display, monitor, virtual reality display, mixed reality display, and other visual interfaces.

Network cloud, network, and similar terms, as used herein, includes the Internet, cellular telephone networks (e.g. 4G or 5G), text messaging networks (such as MMS or SMS networks), local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and combinations thereof. Data may be communicated over the network cloud by various wired and wireless technologies and combinations thereof. The network cloud may include various data storage devices, input/output devices, servers, routers, amplifiers, wireless transmitters, wireless receivers, optical devices, and so forth, as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure.

The communications of user11with object22may be controlled and may be monitored by communication management system10, as illustrated inFIG. 1. In this implementation, vendor30controls and monitors the communication of data15between communication device12and object22as data15is communicated between communication device12and object22via vendor30. Auditor50, in this implementation, is in communication with network97to monitor the communication of data15between communication device12and object22as controlled, at least in part, by vendor30during the communication event. Auditor50may control, at least in part, the communication of data15between communication device12, vendor30, and object22, in certain implementations. Auditor50acts independently of vendor30, in various implementations.

In various implementations, communication device12may be, for example, a computer generally in the form of a telephone, a kiosk, a tablet, or other digital device, and communication device12may be of confinement facility approved correctional grade or meet other standards appropriate to secured facility99.

Data15may include digital data transmitted, at least in part, by VOIP. As used herein, VOIP may include, for example, VoIP/SIP, satellite mobile, or similar protocols, in various implementations. VOIP may include proprietary VOIP, open source VOIP, or combinations of proprietary VOIP and open source VOIP, in various implementations.

Data15may include text, audio, video, multimedia, analog PSTN/POTs, or other information that may be in digital format or may be digitizable into digital format. Analog PSTN/POTs communications may be digitized into digital format by communication management system10, in certain implementations.

Object22includes, for example, a computer such as a communication device, telephone, interactive device, smartphone, database, and other digital devices and systems, and combinations thereof accessible to user11or that may access user, at least in part, using communication device12as controlled by vendor30. Object22may include, for example, banking, inmate trust fund, commissary, money deposit, video visitation, biometric, educational content provider, vocational content provider, religious content provider, therapeutic content provider, credit card processing entity, and third-party prepaid center such as Western Union. Object22may represent multiple objects having multiple identities and multiple functionalities, in various implementations.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, vendor30acts as an intermediary that communicates, at least in part, data15between user11using communication device12and object22over network97, and vendor30receives payment33for the communication of data15. Vendor30may control the communication of data15so that, for example, user11can only communicate data15with object22using communication device12as allowed by vendor rules37. Vendor rules37, for example, may authenticate user11using authentication request17that identifies user11to control the access of user11to vendor30. Vendor rules37may control objects, such as object22, that user11is allowed to communicate data15with in response to authorization request19. For example, vendor rules37may control the time of day during which data15may be communicated with object22, may control the duration of communication of data15with object22, may control the type of data15communicated (e.g. text, video, audio, email, web form), may control mono-directional or bi-directional communication of data15with object22, control payment33received for the communication of data15with object22, control communication of data15based upon availability of payment33, or control non-recording of data15communicated with attorney as object22.

Similarly, object22may only communicate data15with communication device12as allowed by vendor rules37. For example, vendor rules37may authenticate object22using object authentication request27generated by object22that identifies object22to vendor30in order to control the access of object22to vendor30. Vendor rules37may control whether or not object22is allowed to communicate data15with communication device12used by user11in response to object authorization request29from object22. For example, vendor rules37may control the identity of user11with whom object22may communicate data15, control the time of day during which object22may communicate data15with user11using communication device12, control the type of data15that object22may communicate with user11using communication device12, and control payment33for the communication of data15when the communication event is initiated by object22.

It should therefore be recognized that authentication request17and authorization request19may be generated by communication device12used by user11, object authentication request27and object authorization request29may be generated by the object22, and vendor30and auditor50may variously monitor and control communication of data15using various combinations of user authentication request17, object authentication request27, user authorization request19, object authorization request29, in various implementations. Multiple authentication requests, such as authentication request17, and/or multiple object authentication requests, such as object authentication request27, may be generated during the communication event. Multiple authorization requests, such as authorization request17, and/or multiple object authorization requests, such as object authorization request29, may be generated during the communication event, for example, at initiation of the communication event, during the communication event, and at termination of the communication event. In some implementations, for example, user11using communication device12initiates the communication event with authentication request17, authorization request19, or combinations of authentication request17and authorization request19. In other implementations, for example, object22initiates the communication event with object authentication request27, object authorization request29, or combinations of object authentication request27and object authorization request29. In various implementations, either communication device12used by user11or object22may terminate the communication event. Data15may include authentication request(s), such as authentication request17, authorization request(s), such as authorization request19, object authentication request(s), such as object authentication request27, and object authorization request(s), such as object authorization request29, generated during the communication event.

Vendor30monitors the communication event including data15communicated between user11and object22to generate vendor CDR39of the communication event. Vendor CDR39may include variously the identity of user11, identity of communication device12, identity of object22, authentication request17, authorization request19, object authentication request27, object authorization request29, and data15communicated between communication device12and object22. Vendor CDR39may include payment33received by vendor30for the communication of data15, and vendor30may interact with object22, for example, to deduct payment33.

Auditor50, in this implementation, monitors the communication between communication device12used by user11, vendor30, and object22independently of vendor30to verify vendor rules37implemented by vendor30, verify the control of the communication event by vendor30, verify payment33received by vendor30for the communication event, and otherwise monitor communications between communication device12used by user11, vendor30, and object22. As illustrated inFIG. 1, an indicia of payment33is communicated to auditor50to allow auditor50to verify payment33received by vendor30.

Similar to vendor rules37, auditor rules57, for example, may specify and/or control objects, such as object22, with which user11is allowed to communicate data15. For example, auditor rules57may specify and/or control the time of day during which data15may be communicated with object22, specify and/or control duration of communication of data15with object22, specify and/or control the type of data15communicated, control mono-directional or bi-directional communication of data15with object22, specify and/or control payment33received for the communication of data15with object22, or specify and/or control non-recording of data15communicated with attorney as object22. While auditor rules57and vendor rules37should be substantially equivalent at least in part, auditor rules57take precedence over vendor rules37, in various implementations. Vendor rules37implement auditor rules57, in various implementations.

Auditor CDR59generated by auditor50by monitoring the communication between communication device12used by user11, vendor30, and object22is communicated with superuser80. Auditor50may generate auditor CDR59independently of vendor30without interaction with vendor30by capturing data15communicated over network97without interaction with vendor30. Auditor CDR59may include variously the identity of user11, identity of communication device12, identity of object22, authentication request17, authorization request19, object authentication request27, object authorization request29, and data15communicated between communication device12and object22. Auditor CDR59may include payment33received by vendor30for the communication of data15, and auditor50may determine payment33independent of vendor30. Auditor CDR59may include usage of object22as educational content provider, as vocational content provider, or as therapeutic content provider application modules such as educational, vocational, and mental health, etc. The auditor CDR59may include information related to recidivism, in certain implementations.

Auditor CDR59may be communicated to superuser80, as illustrated. In some implementations, vendor CDR39may be communication to superuser80, while, in other implementations, vendor CDR39is not available to superuser80. Superuser80may be, for example, a computer authorized to access auditor CDR59and vendor CDR39, if accessible, for analysis. Supervisory personnel who oversee communication management system10for secured facility99may control analysis of vendor CDR39, when accessible, and auditor CDR59at superuser80. Supervisory personnel who oversee communication management system10for secured facility99may use superuser80to control the generation of auditor CDR59by auditor50, or to alter auditor rules57.

Although not included inFIG. 1, for purposes of clarity of explanation, communication management system10may include computer(s), data storage device(s), display(s), network cloud(s), database(s), operable software, wired and/or wireless communication pathways, and so forth, as would be readily recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure.

FIG. 2illustrates exemplary communication management system100including user111, communication device112, vendor130, auditor150, and secured facility199. User111and communication device112used by user111are located within secured facility199as are LAN114, firewall118, and superuser180, in this implementation. Bank190that hosts user account192, vendor130, auditor150, and object122may be located external to secured facility199, as illustrated. While user111and communication device112are illustrated as located within secured facility199, other portions of communication management system100may be physically located either within secured facility199or external to secured facility199in various ways in various implementations, as would be readily recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure.

Superuser180may implement algorithms that analyze auditor CDR159and vendor CDR139, if available, for example, to determine statutory compliance, state and/or federal regulatory compliance, tax compliance, tax documentation, compliance with court orders, compliance with police orders, compliance with security protocols of the secured facility, and/or revenue compliance or documentation. Auditor CDR159may be analyzed for compliance with auditor rules157where auditor rules157may, for example, specify and/or control objects, such as object122, with which user111is allowed to communicate data115using communication device112. For example, auditor rules157may specify and/or control the time of day during which data115may be communicated with object122, specify and/or control duration of communication of data115with object122, specify and/or control the type of data115communicated, specify and/or control mono-directional or bi-directional communication of data115with object122, specify and/or control payment133received for the communication of data115with object122, or specify and/or control non-recording of data115. Non-compliance of auditor CDR159with auditor rules157may be documented by superuser180. Non-compliance of auditor CDR159with auditor rules157may indicate that vendor130is non-compliant with auditor rules157.

LAN114communicates with communication device112and firewall118, and firewall118interfaces LAN114with network cloud197, as illustrated. LAN114may be generally disposed within secured facility199, and LAN114may communicate data115between communication device112and firewall118using various wired and wireless technologies and combinations thereof, as would be recognized readily by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. LAN114may include various data storage device(s), input/output device(s), computer(s), router(s), amplifier(s), wireless transmitter(s), wireless receiver(s), optical device(s), and so forth, as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. Although illustrated as one user111communicating with one communication device for purposes of explanation, it should be recognized that any number of users, such as user111, with any number of corresponding communication devices, such as communication device112, may communicate data over LAN114, in various implementations.

Firewall118acts as a firewall between LAN114and network cloud197, operating in ways readily recognizable to those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. Data115communicated between firewall118and network cloud197may be encrypted by firewall118, for example, using SSL security protocol. Communication device112, LAN114, firewall118and other portions of communication management system100may meet standards appropriate to secured facility199and may be variously of confinement facility approved correctional grade, in various implementations.

Object122is external to LAN114and accessible to user111, at least in part, over LAN114through firewall118and via network cloud197, in this implementation.

Bank190includes, for example, a bank, commissary, bursar, or other financial entity. User account192is hosted by bank190to hold funds owned by user111, and payment133may be deducted from user account192by vendor130to pay vendor130for the communication event. Vendor130, user111, user111and vendor130, and auditor150may communicate with bank190including user account192via various combinations of network cloud197, LAN114, and firewall118.

Vendor130may communicate with communication device112including user111via network cloud197, firewall118, and LAN114to control the access of user111using communication device112to vendor130, to control the access of object122to communication device112used by user111, and to control the communication of data115between communication device112used by user111and object122. For example, user111using communication device112can access vendor130only as allowed by authentication request117that conforms to vendor rules137, in this implementation. Upon receiving access to vendor130, vendor130then controls the communication between user111and object122so that user111can communicate data115with object122only as allowed by authorization request119that conforms to vendor rules137, in this implementation.

Similarly, for example, object122can access vendor130only as allowed by object authentication request127that conforms to vendor rules137. For example, upon receiving access to vendor130, vendor130then controls the communication between user111and object122so that object122can communicated data115with communication device112used by user111only as allowed by object authorization request129that conforms to vendor rules137.

Vendor130monitors the communication event including data115communicated between user111and object122to generate vendor CDR139of the communication event. Vendor CDR139may variously include, for example, the identity of user111, identity of communication device112, identity of object122, authentication request117, authorization request119, object authentication request127, object authorization request129, and data115communicated between communication device112and object122. Vendor CDR139may include payment133received by vendor130from user account192hosted by bank190for the communication event.

Auditor150monitors the communication between user111, vendor130, and object122, as well as payment133received by vendor130from user account192hosted by bank190to generate auditor CDR159, in this implementation. Auditor CDR159may include the identity of user111, identity of communication device112, identity of object122, authentication request117, authorization request119, and data115communicated between communication device112and object122. Auditor CDR159may include payment133received by vendor130for the communication event. Note that communication events initiated by object122may be paid for in other ways. User account192hosted by bank190may include, for example, accounts through which object122tenders payment133, indigent accounts, or other accounts of vendor130, secured facility199, or various third parties, as would be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. Payment133may be, for example, cash including cash equivalents or credits or debits to account192, and payment133may be tendered from multiple accounts, such as user account192, as would be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, LAN114includes network tap135, and auditor150communicates with network tap135, to monitor the access of user111using communication device112with vendor130and to monitor data115communicated with object122by user111using communication device112because data115communicated between firewall118and network cloud197may be encrypted, and, thus, not available to auditor150. Network tap135may be, for example, a hardware device that allows auditor150to access data115communicated within LAN114. For example, network tap135may be a RIMON probe, packet sniffer, network probe, or other device that allows auditor150to generate auditor CDR159. As illustrated, auditor150is in communication with network cloud197, and auditor150may variously communicate with bank190including user account192, vendor130, and object122, for example, in order to generate auditor CDR159. Network tap135may be otherwise located about LAN114, firewall118, and network cloud197to allow auditor150to monitor data115.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, auditor150and superuser180are in communication via LAN114to allow auditor150to communicate auditor CDR159to superuser180, in this implementation. In other implementations, for example, auditor150and superuser180may be in communication at least in part via network cloud197. In some implementations, vendor CDR139may be communicated to superuser180, while, in other implementations, vendor CDR139is not available to superuser180. Superuser180may be, for example, a computer authorized to access auditor CDR159and vendor CDR139, if accessible, for analysis.

Any of communication devices212a,212b,212cmay operably communicate with any of vendors230a,230b,230cas selected by respective users211a,211b,211c, in this implementation. For example, communication device212aoperably communicates with any of vendors230a,230b,230cas selected by user211a, and communication device212athen communicates with object222aunder control of the selected vendor230a, vendor230b, or vendor230c. Communication management system200illustrates that various numbers of and combinations of users, such as users211a,211b,211c, communication devices, such as communication devices212a,212b,212c, vendors, such as vendors230a,230b,230c, may be accommodated in various implementations of the communication management systems disclosed herein, such as communication management system10,100,200.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, vendor manager270communicates with communication devices212a,212b,212cand with vendors230a,230b,230cvia network297to allow users211a,211b,211cto select variously from vendors230a,230b,230c. Auditor250, in this implementation, communicates with network297to monitor communications of users211a,211b,211cusing communication devices212a,212b,212cwith objects222a,222b,222c, respectively, via any combination of vendors230a,230b,230c. Auditor250generates auditor CDR's259a,259b,259cfrom the communications of users211a,211b,211cusing communication devices212a,212b,212cwith objects222a,222b,222c, respectively. Auditor CDR's259a,259b,259cmay include the identity of vendors230a,230b,230c, respectively. Superuser280may access auditor CDR's259a,259b,259cvia network297for analysis.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, vendor manager270includes user interface272that allows a user, such as user211a,211b,211c, to select a selected vendor from vendors230a,230b,230c. Vendor validator274determines vendors from vendors230a,230b,230cthat the user may select. As an example, user211amay only select vendors230a,230bwith vendor230cbeing not selectable by user211a. Vendor manager270may be generally independent of vendors230a,230b,230cto allow the user, for example, to select from amongst vendors230a,230b,230cwithout influence from vendors230a,230b,230c. Vendor manager270and auditor250may be combined in various ways, in various implementations.

As illustrated inFIG. 4, exemplary method500implements exemplary communication event599using a communication management system, such as communication management system10,100,200. Communication event599, includes a user, such as user11,111,211a,211b,211c, communicating data, such as data15,115,215a,215b,215c, between a communication device, such as communication device12,112,212a,212b,212c, used by the user and an object, such as object22,122,222a,222b,222c. The communication device used by the user communicates the data with the object via a vendor, such as vendor30,130,230a,230b,230c, during communication event599. Communication event599includes an authentication request, such as authentication request17,117, that, when valid, allows communication between the communication device used by the user and the vendor. Communication event599includes an authorization request, such as authorization request19,119, that, when valid, allows communication of data between the communication device used by the user and the object. The authentication request authenticates the identity of the user in combination with the communication device, and the authorization request requests communication of data by the user using the communication device with the object, in this implementation. Communication event599may include transfer of payment, such as payment33,133, to the vendor from a user account, such as user account192, hosted by a bank, such as bank190to compensate the vendor for the communication of the data.

As illustrated inFIG. 4, exemplary method500is entered at step501. At step505, the authentication request is received from the communication device used by the user as part of communication event599. The authentication request, which initiates communication event599, is generated by the user using the communication device, and the authentication request requests access by the user using the communication device to the vendor, in this implementation.

At step510, an auditor, such as auditor50,150,250is initiated by the authentication request. At step515, the auditor checks that the authentication request is valid according to auditor rules, such as auditor rules57,157, meaning that access to the vendor by the user in combination with the communication device complies with the auditor rules. If the auditor rules do not allow the user in combination with the communication device to access the vendor, method500passes from step515to step518, and method500may then enter various failure modes from step518.

If the auditor rules allow the user in combination with the communication device to access the vendor, method500passes from step515to step520. The communication device as directed by the user generates the authorization request that requests communication of data with the object by the user using the communication device. At step520, the auditor checks that the auditor rules allow the user in combination with the communication device to communicate data with the object as requested by the authorization request. If the auditor rules do not allow the user in combination with the communication device to communicate data with the object, method500passes from step520to step523, and method500may then enter various failure modes from step523. If the auditor rules allow the user in combination with the communication device to communicate data with the object, method500passes from step520to step525.

At step525, the authentication request and the authorization request are passed to the vendor. At step530, the vendor checks that vendor rules, such as vendor rules37,137, allow the user in combination with the communication device to access the vendor. If the user in combination with the communication device is not allowed to access the vendor in compliance with the vendor rules, method500passes from step530to step533, and method500may then enter various failure modes from step533. If the user in combination with the communication device is authorized to access the vendor in compliance with the vendor rules, method500passes from step530to step535.

At step535, the vendor checks that the vendor rules allow the user in combination with the communication device to communicate data with the object. If the user in combination with the communication device is not authorized to communicate data with the object according to the vendor rules, method500passes from step535to step538. Method500may then enter various failure modes from step538. If the user in combination with the communication device is authorized to communicate data with the object according to the vendor rules, method500passes from step535to step540by way of link537in the process flow chart ofFIG. 4.

At step540, the user in combination with the communication device accesses the object to communicate data with the object as a portion of communication event599in conformance with the authorization request. At step545, the auditor monitors communication event599including monitoring that communication of data between the object and the communication device as used by the user complies with the auditor rules. The auditor may collect at least portions of the data as part of an auditor CDR, such as auditor CDR59,159,259a,259b,259c, such as may be allowed by the auditor rules, at step545.

At step550, the vendor monitors communication event599including monitoring that communication of data between the object and the communication device as used by the user complies with the vendor rules. The vendor may collect at least portions of data as part of a vendor CDR, such as vendor CDR39,139, such as may be allowed by the vendor rules, at step550.

At step555, communication event599is terminated. Communication event599may be terminated by the user as controlled by the user, in certain implementations. Communication event599may be terminated by the object as controlled by the object, in certain implementations. Communication event599may be terminated by the vendor, in certain implementations. For example, the vendor may terminate communication of data when communication of data violates vendor rules including vendor rules that specify the payment, in certain implementations. The auditor may terminate communication event599at step565if communication event599fails to conform to the auditor rules, in certain implementations.

Following termination of communication event599at step555, the vendor receives the payment at step560from the user account held by the bank, and the vendor generates the vendor CDR at step565. The vendor CDR may include authentication request(s) that fail step530, and the vendor CDR may include authorization request(s) that fail step535, so that step565may be accessed by method500following steps533,538.

Auditor then generates the auditor CDR at step570. The auditor may query the user account hosted by the bank to determine the payment to the vendor for communication event599, and the auditor CDR may include the payment to the vendor for communication event599. The auditor CDR may include authentication request(s) that fails step515, and the auditor CDR may include authorization request(s) that fail step520, so that step570may be accessed by method500following steps518,523.

At step575, a superuser, such as superuser80,180,280, accesses the vendor CDR, if available, and the auditor CDR. Note that the vendor CDR may not be available to the superuser, in certain implementations. The superuser may analyze the auditor CDR and the superuser may analyze the vendor CDR, if available to superuser80, for example, for compliance with the auditor rules and/or compliance with the vendor rules. The superuser may, for example, determine agreements or disagreements between the auditor rules and the vendor rules and compliance of the payment received by the vendor with applicable rules and regulations. Exemplary method500terminates at step581.

Exemplary method600implementing exemplary communication event699using a communication management system, such as communication management system10,100,200, is illustrated inFIG. 5. As illustrated inFIG. 5, exemplary method600is entered at step601. At step603, receipt of an authentication request, such as authentication request17,117, and an authorization request, such as authorization request19,119, activates an auditor, such as auditor60,160,260. The authentication request and the authorization request are generated by a user, such as user11,111,211a,211b,211c, in combination with a communication device, such as communication device12,112,212a,212b,212c. At step606, the auditor passes the authentication request and the authorization request to a vendor, such as vendor30,130,230a,230b,230c. In method600, note that auditor does not check that the authentication request and authorization request are valid but only passes the authentication request and authorization request to the vendor. The authentication request and authorization request may be either simultaneous or sequential.

At step609, the vendor checks the validity of the authentication request and the authorization request against vendor rules, such as vendor rules37,137. If the user in combination with the communication device is not allowed to access the vendor in compliance with the vendor rules, or if the user in combination with the communication device is not authorized to communicate data, such as data15,115,215a,215b,215c, with an object, such as object22,122,222a,222b,222c, according to the vendor rules, method600passes from step609to step612, and method600may then enter various failure modes from step612.

If the user in combination with the communication device is allowed to access the vendor in compliance with the vendor rules and the vendor rules allow the user in combination with the communication device to communicate data with the object, method600passes from step609to step615.

The vendor then monitors the communication event699including data communicated between the object and the communication device used by the user, at step615. At step618, the auditor monitors the communication event699including data communicated between the object and the communication device used by the user. Note that the auditor may communicate with a network tap, such as network tap135, included in a LAN, such as LAN114or otherwise included in a network, such as network97,197,297, to monitor the communication event699including data communicated between the object and the communication device used by the user.

The communication event is terminated at step621. Payment, such as payment33,133, for the communication event is received by the vendor at step624. The vendor generates a vendor CDR, such as vendor CDR39,139, at step627, and the auditor generates an auditor CDR, such as auditor CDR59,159,259a,259b,259c, at step630. The auditor CDR may include the payment received by the vendor at step624.

Method600proceeds from step630to step633by way of link631in the process flow chart ofFIG. 5. At step633, a superuser, such as superuser80,180,280accesses the auditor CDR to validate the auditor CDR against auditor rules, such as auditor rules57,157. At step636, compliance of the auditor CDR with the auditor rules is tested. If the auditor CDR does not comply with the auditor rules, method600passes from step636to step639. The violations of auditor rules by auditor CDR are then specified at step639. Violation of auditor rules by auditor CDR may indicate, inter alia, that the vendor using the vendor rules is not in compliance with the auditor rules.

If the auditor CDR complies with the auditor rules, method600passes from step636to step641. Method600indicates compliance at step641. Compliance of auditor CDR with auditor rules may indicate that vendor using the vendor rules complies with the auditor rules.

FIG. 6illustrates exemplary method700implementing exemplary communication event799using a communication management system, such as communication management system200. As illustrated inFIG. 6, exemplary method700is entered at step701, and at step703a user, such as user11,111,211a,211b,211c, initiates communication event799. Vendor manager, such as vendor manager270, presents vendors to the user for selection by the user using a user interface, such as user interface272, at step706. A vendor validator, such as vendor validator274, may determine which vendors are presented to the user for selection by the vendor manager using the user interface.

At step709the user then selects the vendor using the user interface. Method700may, for example, then enter method500or method600from step709, and exemplary communication event799may then proceed generally according to method500or method600. Method700terminates at step721.

Exemplary method800implementing exemplary communication event899using a communication management system, such as communication management system10,100,200, is illustrated inFIG. 7. As illustrated inFIG. 7, exemplary method800is entered at step801. At step803, a vendor, such as such as vendor30,130,230a,230b,230c, receives an object authentication request, such as object authentication request27,127communicated from an object, such as object22,122,222a,222b,222c, via a network, such as network97,197,297. At step806, the vendor checks the validity of the authentication request against vendor rules, such as vendor rules37,137. If the object is not allowed to access the vendor in compliance with the vendor rules, method800proceeds from step806to step809, and method800may then enter various failure modes from step809. If the object is allowed to access the vendor in compliance with the vendor rules, method800proceeds from step806to step812.

At step812, the vendor receives an object authorization request, such as object authorization request29,129, to communicate data, such as data15,115,215a,215b,215c, with a communication device, such as communication device12,112,212a,212b,212c, used by a user, such as user11,111,211a,211b,211c.

At step815, the vendor checks that the object authorization request is valid according to the vendor rules. If the object authorization request is not valid, method800proceeds from step815to step818, and a failure mode is entered at step818. If the object authorization request is valid, method800proceeds from step815to step821, and the object accesses the communication device at step821. At step824, an auditor, such as auditor60,160,260, monitors communication of data between the object and the communication device. The vendor monitors communication of data between the object and the communication device, at step827. Method800proceeds from step827to step830by way of link829in the process flow chart ofFIG. 7.

The communication event is terminated at step830, and the vendor receives payment, such as payment33,133, at step833. The vendor generates a vendor CDR, such as vendor CDR39,139, at step836, and the auditor generates an auditor CDR, such as auditor CDR59,159,259a,259b,259c, at step839. The auditor CDR may include the payment received by the vendor at step833.

At step842, a superuser, such as superuser80,180,280, accesses the auditor CDR to validate the auditor CDR against auditor rules, such as auditor rules57,157. The superuser may validate the vendor CDR, if available, against auditor rules, at step842. Method800including communication event899terminates at step851.

The foregoing discussion along with the Figures discloses and describes various exemplary implementations. These implementations are not meant to limit the scope of coverage, but, instead, to assist in understanding the context of the language used in this specification and in the claims. The Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b) only, and the Abstract is not intended to identify key elements of the apparatus, methods, and compositions of matter disclosed herein or to delineate the scope thereof. Upon study of this disclosure and the exemplary implementations herein, one of ordinary skill in the art may readily recognize that various changes, modifications and variations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as described herein and as defined in the following claims.