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Systems and processes for scheduling and conducting audio/video communicationsSystems and processes for scheduling and conducting audio/video communications description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060087555, Systems and processes for scheduling and conducting audio/video communications. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY CLAIM AND RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This Application is a Divisional Application of, and claims priority from, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/973,025, filed Oct. 25, 2004, which is commonly owned with the present Application. The disclosure of this Parent Application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] Disclosed embodiments herein relate generally to audio and video communications, and more particularly to scheduling and conducting monitored or unmonitored video visits, as well as the computer architecture for providing such scheduling and conducting of video visits between any number of endpoints. BACKGROUND [0003] When two parties want to communicate in real-time over great distances, the telephone has been the traditional communications device of choice. Advancements in technologies over the years have now permitted both audio and video communications between parties over great distances. This form of communications is commonly referred to as video conferencing, and depending on the complexity (and associated expense) of the equipment involved may provide nearly real-time communications among two or more parties. [0004] In traditional form, video conferencing includes some type of local equipment associated with each person seeking to participate in the conference. When the conference is to be started, the equipment at each location is employed to call in (e.g., "conference in") to a call center. As each of these endpoints establishes a connection with the central location, the video and audio signals may then be accessed by all of the participants so that a conversation with both audio and video can take place. Among the various types of video conferencing equipment, one of the most common employs specialty dedicated equipment at each geographic location of the participants. This equipment typically employs an ISDN or similar data connection to transmit and receive audio/video communications data during the video conference. [0005] Unfortunately, conventionally available video conferencing equipment has a common characteristic: each system requires endpoint initiation (and termination) for each participant in the conference. Such a requirement has several disadvantages, including the high cost associated with such specialty equipment, and the freedom (or burden) to control the equipment at each corresponding endpoint. Regarding expense, many companies or individuals are financially prohibited from enjoying such video conferencing because they either cannot afford the special equipment, or perhaps cannot justify the expense for equipment not regularly used. Regarding endpoint control, the difficulty in operating such specialty equipment is a burden many people would like to be without. In addition, situations exist where initiation of the video conference and control of the video conferencing equipment by one or more of the participants is not desired. [0006] An example of a situation where endpoint control is not desirable is in the prison system. Many times, a prison inmate is housed in a location a great distance from his family or friends, which results in visitation of the inmate being inconvenient or even impossible due to travel time and expense. As such, a video conference with the inmate would seem a perfect answer; however, as mentioned above, the expense and complexity of the necessary equipment may be prohibitive. Perhaps more important is the potential security risk if endpoint control is permitted in a video conference with an inmate. Even in conventional face-to-face visits, conversations between inmates and their visitors are monitored to ensure that no greater security risk is created than already exists with an outsider's presence in the prison. However, if endpoint control in such a visitation scenario were permitted, it would be difficult to effectively monitor the visit to ensure security. Potential security breaches include, but are not limited to, coded dialog between the inmate and a visitor, as well as hand and facial gestures used to communicate improper information. [0007] While traditional video conferencing equipment could potentially be used in the prison scenario, the above-mentioned problems would still be present. More specifically, conventional video conferencing requires endpoint control to initiate and terminate the conversation. As a result, an overseer may not be capable of ending the visit if conduct violations occur during the visit. In addition, with endpoint control of the equipment, a prison inmate can easily damage the equipment if he has access to it, and may lack the technical knowledge to even operate the equipment at all. Although a security officer or technician may be given control of the equipment so that it is not accessible by the inmate, another disadvantage is created by requiring the services of an employee, whose time is probably better served elsewhere. [0008] Perhaps the most important reason why traditional video conferencing would not be workable for prison visitation and other similar situations is the lack of synchronicity between data connections during the conference. More specifically, as each participant in the video conference connects to the conversation, a new data connection, or path, is created. In a prison situation, at least three data paths would be present: one for the inmate, one for the visitor, and one for the overseer monitoring the conversation. Unfortunately, an inherent latency exists between these multiple connections that poses a significant security risk for the prison. Because of latency in the data path during data transmission, communication is not instantaneous; the delay is a function of all intermediate equipment and media along the data path. Because different routes may be taken along each data path, there may exist a difference in latency and the delay experienced by each if each party is connected with a separate data path. Unfortunately, this difference in latency among multiple simultaneous data paths poses a significant security risk for a prison. As a result, the visitor or inmate may engage in an improper communication during the visit, but the difference in latency between connections prevents the overseer from learning of the improper conduct in time to prevent it or further improper conduct from occurring. Accordingly, what is needed is a video visitation system for permitting video visits between participants that is not endpoint controlled and that does not suffer from the deficiencies found in the prior art. BRIEF SUMMARY [0009] Disclosed herein are methods of scheduling and conducting monitored or non-monitored video visits, as well as computer architecture for providing such scheduling and conducting of video visits, where the participants in the video visit are not required or able to interact with the audio/video equipment for the initial connection to start the video visit. In addition, in some embodiments participants are also not able to interact with the equipment during the actual visit. Whether they can interact with the equipment during the visit or not (e.g., voice-actuated volume control, etc.), the audio/video equipment employed during the video visit may be isolated from physical contact by the first participant or second participant, and therefore may be located at fixed or mobile geographic locations where such equipment connections and operations may be maintained. [0010] In one embodiment of a method of scheduling such a video visit, the method includes assigning an individual ID code to a first participant and second participant in the video visit, for example, a caller and a receiver in a video visit. Of course, any number of participants may participate in the visit. In this example, to schedule a visit between these two participants, the first participant contacts a data center and enters the ID code of the second participant he is trying to visit with. In a more specific embodiment, the second participant is a prison inmate and the first participant is a family member of the inmate desiring a visit with the inmate using audio/video communications equipment, however, any types of participants may be present. When the ID code for the second participant is entered, the data center may then conduct a check to determine whether second participant is permitted to receive video visits. Also, the first participant's ID code may also be submitted to the data center and checked to determine if the first participant is permitted to be in contact with the second participant. [0011] In another embodiment, devices may be employed to verify the identity of the first participant, such as biometric devices. Such biometric technologies are defined as automated devices/methods for identifying or authenticating the identity of a living person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic. For example, fingerprint reading devices, retina scanning devices, voice identification devices, face mapping devices, signature comparison devices and the like may be employed to further ensure security during the video visit by authenticating the identity of the first participant. Moreover, if the participants are being charged for making the video visit, the data center may also determine if sufficient funds (or credit) for the visit have been paid. One advantage to the disclosed video visits is that the first participant may visit with the second participant over long distances that may otherwise prevent their communication. As such, in one embodiment, the data center may prompt the participant making the reservation for his geographic location(s), and then present several locations near the first participant's location for conducting the visit. Once a suitable location is selected, the visit may be scheduled and then conducted at the appropriate time. In addition, other participants may also be given the option to select desirable geographic locations for them to participate in the video visit. [0012] In one embodiment of a method of conducting a video visit, the method includes connecting the first participant and second participant at the scheduled time using the data center and without any action taken by the first participant or second participant, or anyone associated with their geographic locations, to initiate the visit. Once the video visit begins, in some embodiments, certain rules for the visit may be displayed for the participants to read. For example, if the visit is between a prison inmate and one or more of his family members, the rules may discuss how the visit is being monitored by appropriate personnel and that perhaps "secret" communications between the parties (e.g., hand signals, facial gestures, movements, etc.) are not permitted during the visit. In such an embodiment, the method also includes an overseer actively monitoring the visit between the parties. [0013] In a related embodiment, the overseer may be simultaneously monitoring multiple such video visits, and may have the ability to select the audio communications of any particular visit for closer monitoring and inspection, as well as zoom in on one of the particular video feeds should the need arise. Examples of other potential violations may be hand-signs, gestures, or even expressly saying certain words or phrases. If the overseer determines a rules violation has or is occurring, he may intervene with a warning to one or both of the parties. Continued rules violations may lead to termination of the visit, or the overseer, or perhaps automated equipment, may determine that the violation is of the sort that requires the visit to be terminated immediately. In addition, a notation of the incident(s) may be made in the video visit records associated with either or both of the first participant and second participant, which may in turn affect the permission required for the two to conduct another visit in the future. Conversely, if the visit is concluded without incident, the appropriate records may also be updated as such. [0014] In another aspect, a system for conducting a video visit is also disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a data center configured to initiate and terminate an audio/video communication between first and second participants. The system also includes a first terminal coupled to the data center for use by the first participant to visit with the second participant, and a second terminal coupled to the data center for use by the second participant to visit with the first participant. In a specific embodiment, the data center is coupled to the first and second terminals via a computer network, for example, a packet-based network such as the Internet. Each of the first and second terminals may also be coupled to the computer network via their own local area network. [0015] In a broad aspect, the system also includes a multiplexing means, which may be embodied in hardware, software, of a combination of both, that is configured to receive communication data, encrypted or unencrypted, sent between the first and second participants during the audio/video communication, and to generate copied data based on the communication data. In addition, such a system would include an overseer coupled to the multiplexing means and configured to receive the copied data and to monitor the audio/video communication between the first and second participants using the received copied data. In an exemplary embodiment, the multiplexing means is geographically proximate to the first terminal and configured to provide the communication data to the first terminal and the copied data to the overseer. In an alternative embodiment, the multiplexing means may be geographically proximate to the data center and configured to provide the communication data to the first and second terminals and the copied data to the overseer. In yet other embodiments, recording equipment configured to receive the copied data for data storage and retrieval is also included in the system, perhaps via the same or a second multiplexing means. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, and the advantages of the systems and methods herein, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a conceptual view of one embodiment of a system for providing monitored video visits in accordance with the principles disclosed herein; [0018] FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the architecture for a computer network for providing the monitored video visits discussed above; [0019] FIGS. 3A & 3B illustrate a flow diagram that sets forth one embodiment of a process for scheduling a video visit between a visitor and a prison inmate; Continue reading about Systems and processes for scheduling and conducting audio/video communications... 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