Patent ID: 9723262
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: G06Q,H04N

Claim:
1. A method of providing inmate initiated web-based audio/video visitation services to inmates located in a prison on an endpoint control free basis for self-initiating communication services to an inmate selected visitor located external to the prison, in a server having a processor, memory and non-transitory memory with computer executable instructions, and having instructions for performing the following method comprising: hosting a web-based audio/video visitation service application having one or more webpages accessible over a data network and hosting an inmate interface, a visitor interface and an administrative interface, each of which is configured separately and each of which has separate and distinct functions, but each of which cooperate to provide the functioning of the audio/video visitation service application; the administrative interface hosting an administrative user web-interface accessible over the data network of the audio/video visitation service application and providing authorized access to one or more administrators having administrative terminals having an administrator web-browser application, as authorized by the prison in which the inmate is located, the authorized access including the administering of the audio/video visitation service application including inmate use and operations thereof and use of the audio/video visitation service, the operations of the inmate interface and the visitor interface, and the web-based communications between the inmate interface and the visitor interface; the visitor interface hosting an visitor-inmate user web-interface accessible over the data network by a communication terminal of the visitor having a visitor web-browser application, the visitor interface configured to enable the visitor terminal to receive an inmate initiated request to establish a web-based communication with the visitor terminal; the inmate interface hosting an inmate-visitor user web-interface accessible over the data network by a communication terminal of the inmate having an inmate web-browser application, the inmate interface configured to enable the inmate terminal to initiated the inmate initiated request to establish the web-based communication with the visitor terminal; the server further configured for: receiving from the administrative interface a registration of the inmate interface for the inmate including a plurality of inmate operating parameters; receiving from the administrative interface one or more registered authorized visitors for the inmate interface including visitor information containing name and communication address for the visitor terminal of the visitor; receiving from the visitor interface a number of non-visit specific pre-paid minutes of audio/video communication time with the inmate; providing to the inmate interface a displayed listing of the name of each registered authorized visitor for the inmate, the providing not including the communication address of the visitor terminal; receiving from the inmate interface an inmate selection of a particular one of the registered authorized visitors for the inmate interface from among the listing of names of the registered authorized visitors for the inmate; receiving from the inmate interface the inmate initiated request to establish the web-based communication with the selected visitor; verifying a current authority at the time of the receipt of the inmate initiated request for the inmate to have a communication with the selected visitor; verifying a current availability of the non-visit specific pre-paid minute funds associated with selected visitor and with the inmate; in response to the verified current authority and a current availability of funds, establishing a web-based audio/video communications between the inmate interface and the selected visitor interface to form the inmate initiated web-based audio/video visitation between the inmate terminal and the visitor terminal; timing by a timer module a duration of the established inmate initiated web-based audio/video visitation and comparing the timed duration with the available non-visit specific pre-paid minute funds associated with selected visitor and with the inmate and determining when the timed duration exceeds the available non-visit specific pre-paid minute funds; receiving a request to terminate the established inmate initiated web-based audio/video visitation from at least one of the administrative terminal, the inmate terminal, the visitor terminal, and the timer module having determined that the timed duration has exceed available non-visit specific pre-paid minute funds; and terminating the web-based communication in response to the receive termination request.