1. A video compression system for transmitting compressed video information to receiving devices having standard decompressors, the video compression system comprising:
a standard compressor system receiving video frames and transmitting compressed video frames at a predetermined target bit rate, the standard compressor system, when receiving raw video, producing compressed video decompressible with the standard decompressors of the receiving devices, the standard compressor system further having a dynamically varying compression rate changing to provide a predetermined average throughput of video frames to match the target bit rate;
a pre-processor receiving raw video frames and providing prepared video frames to the standard compressor system, the pre-processor further using a measure of the compression rate of the standard compressor system to variably prepare the raw video frames so that higher compressibility is provided in the prepared video frames when the varying compression rate is higher and lower compressibility is provided in the prepared video frames when the varying compression rate is lower.
2. The video compression system of claim 1 wherein the standard compressor and standard decompressor are MPEG compliant.
3. The video compression system of claim 1 wherein the target bit rate is less than 100 kbs.
4. The video compression system of claim 1 wherein the pre-processor divides the raw video frames into multiple components and changes the compressibility of the raw video frames by selectively transmitting to the standard compressor different combinations of the multiple components.
5. The video compression system of claim 4 wherein the multiple components include an approximation of the raw video frames using a limited set of pixel values.
6. The video compression system of claim 4 wherein the multiple components include a residual value representing high order derivatives of the raw video frames.
7. The video compression system of claim 6 wherein the high order derivatives are obtained iteratively by repeated differentiation and normalization of the raw video frames according to an iteration number.
8. The video compression system of claim 7 wherein the iteration number is functionally dependent on the measure of compression rate of the standard compressor.
9. The video compression system of claim 4 wherein the multiple components include information extracted exclusively from object edges in a video frame.
10. The video compression system of claim 4 wherein the multiple components include, in the following rank order:
(a) an approximation of a video frame using a limited set of pixel values;
(b) information extracted exclusively from object edges in a video frame;
(c) a residual value representing high order derivatives of a video frame;
and wherein the components are combined in the rank order to provide variable compressibility of the raw video frames.
11. The video compression system of claim 1 wherein the measure of compression rate of the standard compressor is derived from a schedule of filling of a buffer for transmission of the video frames.
12. The video compression system of claim 1 wherein the measure of compression rate of the standard compressor is modeled by the pre-processor.
13. A video compression system for transmitting compressed video information to receiving devices having standard MPEG decompressors, the compression system comprising:
a standard MPEG compressor system receiving video frames and transmitting MPEG compressed video frames at a predetermined target bit rate; and
a pre-processor receiving raw video frames and approximating the raw video frames with approximated frames having a reduced number of pixel values and providing the approximated frames to the MPEG compressor as video frames.
14. A video compression circuit for transmitting compressed video information comprising:
an edge detection unit detecting edges of image objects in a series of video frames;
an edge extraction unit extracting data from the detected edges;
a compressor compressing the data of the detected edges in order of a traversal of a path following the edges to provide compressed edge data; and
an output circuit outputting the compressed edge data and path information describing spatial position of path.
15. The video compression circuit of claim 14 further including an image residual calculator extracting the edge data from the video frames to provide edge deemphasized frames and wherein the output circuit further outputs the edge deemphasized frames.
16. The video compression circuit of claim 14 further including a second compressor compressing the edge-deemphasized frames before outputting.
17. The video compression circuit of claim 16 wherein the compressor is an MPEG type compressor.
18. The video compression circuit of claim 14 wherein the edge data includes pixels defining an edge of an object and pixels within a predetermined width on each side of the pixels defining the edge of the object.
19. The video compression circuit of claim 14 wherein the data of the detected edges is residual data at the detected edges, being a difference between the video image and a compression of the video image limiting a number of pixel values.
20. The video compression circuit of claim 14 wherein the edge data is residual data at the detected edges being a difference between the video image and frequency limited data of the video image.
21. The video compression circuit of claim 14 wherein the output circuit is selected from the group consisting of a wireless transmitter, serial communication network, or a digital recording device.
22. The video compression circuit of claim 14 further including a decompressor receiving the compressed edge data and the path information to reconstruct the edge data.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a request to place a call to a called number;
prior to attempting to connect the call, determining whether call redirecting is likely to be implemented with respect to said call based, at least in part, upon information selected from the group consisting of:
a geographic location associated with said called number being different from a billing address for said called number;
a billing address for said called number being a mail drop; and
a billing name and address for said called number being similar to one or more billing names and addresses for other telephone numbers called from a particular facility.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing information determines whether call redirecting is likely to be implemented with respect to said call based upon a combination of at least two of the information.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein a determination whether call redirecting is likely to be implemented with respect to said call is different based upon particular combinations of at least two of the information.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
providing a risk indicator of whether call redirecting is likely to be implemented with respect to said call based upon said analyzing information.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said risk indicator comprises a plurality of risk levels with respect to call forwarding being implemented in association with said call, said plurality of risk levels including at least three risk levels.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
implementing a selected call treatment of a plurality of call treatments as a function of said analyzing information.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of call treatments includes allowing said call to continue while invoking a call treatment action as a function of said analyzing information.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said call treatment action comprises altering a payment verification point of an account associated with said call.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein said call treatment action comprises altering a credit limit of an account associated with said call.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein said call treatment action comprises connecting at least a portion of said call to a customer service agent.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein said call treatment action comprises requiring a party to said call to contact a customer service agent.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein said call treatment action comprises recording at least a portion of said call.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein said call treatment action comprises invoking further analysis with respect to said called number for determining whether call redirecting is being implemented with respect to said called number.
14. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of call treatments further includes preventing said call from continuing and allowing said call to continue without invoking a call treatment action.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein said call redirecting comprises remote call forwarding.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said call comprises a call placed between a party disposed within a controlled environment facility and a party disposed outside of said controlled environment facility.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said controlled environment facility comprises a detention facility.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein said call comprises a call placed from said party disposed within said controlled environment facility to said party disposed outside of said controlled environment facility.
19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
placing said call using a controlled environment facility call processing system implementing security protocols with respect to said controlled environment facility.
20. A system comprising:
a database comprising information associated with at least one of a dialed number of a call and a party of said call; and
a call processing system in communication with said database, said call processing system coupled to a call path, wherein said call processing system is operable to obtain at least a portion of said information from said database and determine, prior to attempting to connect the call, whether call redirecting is likely to be implemented with respect to said call, wherein said call redirecting comprises call forwarding.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein said call forwarding comprises remote call forwarding.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein said at least a portion of said information is used by said call processing system to determine if said dialed number comprises a local exchange carrier billed telephone number.
23. The system of claim 20, wherein said at least a portion of said information is used by said call processing system to determine if an implied geographic location for said dialed number is different from a billing address for said dialed number.
24. The system of claim 20, wherein said at least a portion of said information is used by said call processing system to determine if a billing address for said dialed number comprises a mail drop.
25. The system of claim 20, wherein said at least a portion of said information is used by said call processing system to determine if a billing name and address for said dialed number is similar to other billing names and addresses for other telephone numbers serviced by said call processing system.
26. The system of claim 20, wherein said call processing system comprises a prison facility call processing system.
27. A method for detecting undesired calling activity, said method comprising:
identifying an attempt to initiate a call; and
analyzing information associated with said call to determine a risk level of a plurality of risk levels with respect to call forwarding being implemented in association with said call, said plurality of risk levels including at least three risk levels.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
implementing a selected call treatment of a plurality of call treatments based on a level of said risk of call forwarding being implemented.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein said plurality of call treatments includes allowing said call to continue while invoking a call treatment action as a function of said analyzing information.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said call treatment action comprises altering a payment verification point of an account associated with said call.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein said call treatment action comprises altering a credit limit of an account associated with said call.
32. The method of claim 29, wherein said call treatment action comprises connecting at least a portion of said call to a customer service agent.
33. The method of claim 29, wherein said call treatment action comprises requiring a party to said call to contact a customer service agent.
34. The method of claim 29, wherein said call treatment action comprises recording at least a portion of said call.
35. The method of claim 29, wherein said call treatment action comprises invoking further analysis with respect to said called number for determining whether call redirecting is being implemented with respect to said called number.
36. The method of claim 29, wherein said plurality of call treatments further include preventing said call from continuing and allowing said call to continue without invoking a call treatment action.
37. The method of claim 27, wherein said analyzing information analyzes information selected from the group consisting of:
an implied geographic location for said called number being different from a billing address for said called number;
said called number being a local exchange carrier billed telephone number;
a billing address for said called number being a mail drop; and
a billing name and address for said called number being similar to one or more billing names and addresses for other telephone numbers called from a particular facility.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein said analyzing information determines said risk level based upon a combination of at least two of the information.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein a determination of said risk level is different based upon particular combinations of at least two of the information.
40. The method of claim 27, wherein said call forwarding comprises remote call forwarding.
41. The method of claim 27, wherein said call comprises a call placed between a party disposed within a controlled environment facility and a party disposed outside of said controlled environment facility.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein said controlled environment facility comprises a detention facility.