DIGITAL RECORDING OF IP BASED DISTRIBUTED SWITCHING PLATFORM

• US 20050123115A1
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Freedman, Ilan, Yosef, Ilan, Shporer, Danny, Gritzer, Hagay
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A system and method for recording and/or otherwise monitoring IP multimedia sessions. The present invention features a recording and/or monitoring device, referred to hereinafter as “a recording device” for the purposes of clarity only and without any intention of being limiting. The recording device is a participant in the IP multimedia session, although preferably the recording device only receives data for recording and/or otherwise monitoring the session. Therefore, the IP multimedia session is preferably a multi-user session, such as a “conference call” for example, even if data is being provided for recording from only one of the participants in the session.

Claims

1. A method for recording at least a portion of an IP data session between a first communication device and a second communication device through a network by a recording device which is distinct from the first and second communication devices, comprising:

initiating the data session by said first communication device with said second communication device;

implementing the data session as a conference call such that said first and second communication devices are connected, respectively, as first and second participants therein;

selectively entering the recording device to said conference call as an additional participant; and

recording at least the portion of the IP data session through said conference call using said recording device.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call includes the step of directing the recording device to enter said conference call as the additional participant when a data session has been initiated.

3. The method of claim 1, including the additional step of permitting a user of at least one of the first and second communication devices to determine whether the session is to be recorded prior to entering the recording device as the additional participant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference call connects the second communication device is established by:

passing telephone numbers to a gatekeeper for performing IP address resolution, and

using a resolved IP address of the second communication device for connecting the second communication device to the conference call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call is in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded.

6. The method of claim 5, including the additional step of providing the command from a scheduler.

7. The method of claim 6, including the additional step of locating the scheduler with the recording device.

8. The method of claim 6, including the additional step of analyzing information about the IP data session at the scheduler to determine whether the IP data session is to be recorded.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information includes the identity of at least one of the first and second communication devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP data session is either an IP telephony session or an IP multimedia session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first communication device contacts the recording device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said second communication device contacts the recording device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the data session is detected by a recording agent, and wherein said recording agent contacts the recording device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a conference controller implements said conference call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said conference controller is a MCU.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the conference controller implements said conference call in response to receipt of a request to initiate the conference call.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the request is from at least one of the recording device, the first communication device, the second communication device, and an other component on the network.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said first communication device is a gateway for receiving communication through a PSTN.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording device joins the data session performed through a hunt group.

20. The method of claim 19, including the additional step of identifying the hunt group using a gatekeeper.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device is a non-IP telephony device.

22. A method of claim 21, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call includes the step of directing the recording device to enter said conference call as the additional participant when a data session has been initiated.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the conference call connects the second communication device is established by:

passing telephone numbers to a gatekeeper for performing IP address resolution, and

using a resolved IP address of the second communication device for connecting the second communication device to the conference call.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call is in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded.

25. The method of claim 24, including the additional step of providing the command from a scheduler.

26. The method of claim 25, including the additional step of locating the scheduler with the recording device.

27. The method of claim 25, including the additional step of analyzing information about the IP data session at the scheduler to determine whether the IP data session is to be recorded.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the information includes the identity of at least one of the first and second communication devices.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of initiating the data session is detected by a recording agent, and wherein said recording agent contacts the recording device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a conference controller implements said conference call.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said conference controller is a MCU.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the conference controller implements said conference call in response to receipt of a request to initiate the conference call.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the recording device joins the data session performed through a hunt group.

34. The method of claim 33, including the additional step of identifying the hunt group using a gatekeeper.

35. The method of claim 1, including the additional steps of passing telephone numbers to a gatekeeper for performing IP address resolution and using a resolved IP address of the second communication device in connecting the second communication device to the conference call, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call includes the step of directing the recording device to enter said conference call as the additional participant when a data session has been initiated.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the recording device is directed to enter said conference call in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded.

37. The method of claim 36, including the additional steps of:

providing the command from a scheduler; and

analyzing information about the IP data session at the scheduler to determine whether the IP data session is to be recorded.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the information includes the identity of at least one of the first and second communication devices.

39. The method of claim 40, including the additional step of positioning the recording device relative to the network so as to be in communication with the data session.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call includes the step of directing the recording device to enter said conference call as the additional participant in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded.

41. The method of claim 40, including the additional steps of:

providing the command from a scheduler; and

analyzing information about the IP data session at the scheduler to determine whether the IP data session is to be recorded.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the information includes the identity of at least one of the first and second communication devices.

43. The method of claim 42, including the additional step of positioning the recording device relative to the network so as to be in communication with the data session.

44. The method of claim 1, including the additional steps of:

detecting the step of initiating the data session using a recording agent,

contacting the recording device using the recording agent, and

receiving a request to initiate to conference call and performing the implementing step in response to the request,

wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call includes the step of directing the recording device to enter said conference call as the additional participant when a data session has been initiated.

45. The method of claim 44, including the additional steps of passing telephone numbers to a gatekeeper for performing IP address resolution and using a resolved IP address of the second communication device in connecting the second communication device to the conference call.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the recording device is directed to enter said conference call in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded.

47. The method of claim 44, including the additional steps of:

providing the command from a scheduler; and

analyzing information about the IP data session at the scheduler to determine whether the IP data session is to be recorded.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the information includes the identity of at least one of the first and second communication devices.

49. The method of claim 48, including the additional step of positioning the recording device relative to the network so as to be in communication with the data session.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively entering the recording device to said conference call includes the steps of:

identifying a hunt group using a gatekeeper;

directing the recording device to enter said conference call as the additional participant in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded; and

joining the recording device to the data session through the hunt group.

51. The method of claim 50, including the additional steps of passing telephone numbers to a gatekeeper for performing IP address resolution and using a resolved IP address of the second communication device in connecting the second communication device to the conference call.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the recording device is directed to enter said conference call in response to a command that the data session is to be recorded.

53. The method of claim 52, including the additional steps of:

providing the command from a scheduler; and

analyzing information about the IP data session at the scheduler to determine whether the IP data session is to be recorded.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the information includes the identity of at least one of the first and second communication devices.

55. The method of claim 54, including the additional step of positioning the recording device relative to the network so as to be in communication with the data session.