US 5,485,507 A · Integrated commissary system

Abstract

A commissary system for receiving and processing commissary orders using a premise-based telephone system of an institution such as a jail or correctional facility without accessing a PSTN. User-provided identifier information and item selection information is entered into the commissary system through selected telephones of the premise-based telephone system. User status and inventory information stored in a memory device coupled to a processor are compared with the user provided identifier and item selection information by the processor, according to selected authorization criteria. These criteria may include sufficiency of the user's account balance, item availability, and scope of the user's commissary privileges. The processor generates transaction records for user identified items that meet the authorization criteria, automatically adjusts inventory and user status information, and stores the records in a file where they may be downloaded for record keeping purposes.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In a premise-based telephone system for connecting calls from a plurality of telephone stations within an institution, a commissary system for automatically processing orders to the commissary of the institution through the telephone stations of the premise based telephone system, the commissary system comprising:

a memory device for storing user status information including a user name, a personal identifier, an account balance and a user class for each user of the commissary system, and commissary inventory information for each item offered by the commissary of the institution;
a processor coupled to the memory device and to a telephone station of the premise based telephone system;
a processor implemented control program for monitoring the telephone station, and responsive to a user entering a commissary telephone number, the control program instructs the processor to compare user status and inventory information with identifier and item selection information, respectively, provided by the user to determine whether authorization criteria are met and to update the user status information and generate a transaction record when authorization criteria are met;
and
a message generating device responsive to the processor, for communicating stored user status and commissary information to the user and requesting user identifier and item selection information from the user.

2 more elements

A computer implemented method for processing commissary orders through a premise-based telephone system, the method comprising the steps of:

storing user status information including a personal identifier, a user name, an account balance, and a user class for each user of the commissary system and commissary inventory information;
receiving user-provided identifier information and item selection information entered from a telephone of the premise-based telephone system;
comparing the user-provided identifier information with the stored user status information to determine the user's commissary privileges;
comparing the user-provided item selection information with the user's commissary privileges and the commissary inventory information to determine whether a user can order the selected item;
generating an order when the comparison indicates that the item can be ordered by the user;
and
updating the user status information to reflect the order.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated commissary system

Life of this patent

Integrated commissary system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11