Patents Assigned to Tech Friends, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9311627
    Abstract: An incoming physical mail item addressed to a resident of a controlled-environment facility is converted to a digital format mail item, which is associated with the resident and archived in an electronic database. A determination may be made whether the resident is allowed to receive the physical mail item. If so, the digital format mail item may be delivered to the resident as an electronic message If an electronic message service is not available to the resident, the digital format mail item is printed for distribution to the resident within the controlled-environment facility via a commissary provisioning system, print station, or print kiosk. Delivery via commissary provisioning system may be made at a commissary point-of-sale within the facility, or printed mail items may be included in a commissary order for the resident, and delivered to the resident at the facility with the order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: TECH FRIENDS, INC.
    Inventors: Bobby L. Shipman, Jr., Mark A. Haney
  • Patent number: 9106789
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing video visitation security to a controlled-environment facility are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method may include detecting an image of a face in a video stream transmitted between a resident (e.g., an inmate) of a controlled-environment facility (e.g., a jail or prison) and a non-resident of the controlled environment facility during a video visitation session. For example, the first image may occupy a given area on a display upon rendering of the video stream. As such, the method may include defacing (e.g., blurring, clouding, darkening, distorting, masking, shading, etc.) other areas on the display outside of the given area. Moreover, in various implementations, a method may also include detecting additional faces, determining and/or validating any number of visitors (e.g., via facial recognition), identifying certain attempts to circumvent security procedures, as well as taking pre-established corrective measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Tech Friends, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby L. Shipman, Jr., Laura Shipman
  • Publication number: 20130311364
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing financial accounts associated with residents of controlled-environment facilities are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving information corresponding to a pooled account (e.g., a trust account, etc.) held by a financial institution (e.g., a bank), at least in part, for the benefit of residents (e.g., work-release inmates, etc.) of a controlled-environment facility (e.g., a jail, prison, etc.). The method may also include allocating funds within the pooled account to corresponding residents. The method may further include designating a first portion of the funds allocated to a given resident as inaccessible to the resident and designating a second portion of funds allocated to the given resident as accessible to the resident.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Tech Friends, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby L. Shipman, Mark A. Haney
  • Patent number: 8498937
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing financial accounts associated with residents of controlled-environment facilities are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving information corresponding to a pooled account (e.g., a trust account, etc.) held by a financial institution (e.g., a bank), at least in part, for the benefit of residents (e.g., work-release inmates, etc.) of a controlled-environment facility (e.g., a jail, prison, etc.). The method may also include allocating funds within the pooled account to corresponding residents. The method may further include designating a first portion of the funds allocated to a given resident as inaccessible to the resident and designating a second portion of funds allocated to the given resident as accessible to the resident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Tech Friends, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby L. Shipman, Jr., Mark A. Haney