Computerized telephone monitoring system

• US 4,815,120 A
• Filed: 07/28/1987
• Issued: 03/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enforcement Support Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Enforcement Support Incorporated
• Inventors: Kosich, Milo
• Primary Examiner(s): Schreyer, Stafford D.
• Application Number:
  US07/078,593
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/113, 379/130, 379/133, 379/140, 379/34, 379/35, 379/135, 379/136, 379/122
• US Class Current: 379/32.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks

Abstract

A telephone monitoring system is disclosed which enables the operator to enter comment data and sort comment data entered by the operator and numerical data received from a monitor while the monitor continues to imput information from the target line. The system is comprised generally of a monitor capable of being attached to a target telephone line and when so attached senses voltage changes on that line and translates those voltage changes into a form capable of being stored in the memory, an alphanumeric keyboard, a memory unit storing a program capable of storing data received from the monitor and the keyboard, a processing unit and a display for displaying data entered through the monitor and through the keyboard as well as data developed by the processing unit in accordance with the program contained in the memory.

Claims

1. A telephone monitoring system comprising:

(a) a monitor capable of being attached to a target telephone line and when so attached sense voltage changes on that line and translate those voltage changes into a form capable of being stored in a memory;

(b) an alphanumeric keyboard to allow an operator to input data into a memory;

(c) a memory unit storing a program and capable of storing data received from the monitor and the keyboard;

(d) a processing unit connected to the monitor, keyboard and memory for receiving data from the monitor and keyboard and manipulating that data in accordance with a program contained in the memory; and

(e) a display connected to the processing unit, keyboard and monitor for displaying data entered through the monitor and keyboard and data developed by the processing unit in accordance with a program contained in the memory.

2. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 also comprising a clock connected to the processing unit.

3. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 also comprising a disc drive connected to the processing unit and memory.

4. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 also comprising a printer.

5. The telephone monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the printer is capable of printing at least eighty characters per line.

6. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the monitor has means for connecting at least one tape recorder to the target telephone lines and means for activating and deactivating a tape recorder.

7. The telephone monitoring system of claim 6 also comprising means connected to the monitor for determining when the tape recorders are activated and deactivated and for transmitting that determination to the memory.

8. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 also comprising a headphone connected to the monitor.

9. The telephone monitoring system of claim 8 also comprising means connected to the monitor for determining when audio output to the headphone is activated and deactivated and for transmitting that determination to the memory.

10. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard contains programmable function keys.

11. The telephone monitoring system of claim 10 wherein at least one function key can access comments which are programed by a user of the system.

12. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the memory contains a program which enables a user of the system to do at least one of:

(a) sorting information stored in memory by date and outputting that sorted information to one of a printer, a display and a disc;

(b) sorting information stored in memory by telephone number and outputting that sorted information to one of a printer, a display and a disc;

(c) listing all calls stored in memory and outputting that list to one of a printer, a display and a disc; and

(d) sorting information by comment entered through the keyboard.

13. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the display is one of a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube and a flat screen.

14. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the display is sized and configured to permit display of:

(a) a target line telephone number;

(b) date;

(c) a telephone number dialed;

(d) real time;

(e) a time at which a telephone on the target telephone line is taken off hook;

(d) a time at which a telephone on the target telephone is placed on hook;

(e) duration of call;

(f) audio status

(g) comments entered through the keyboard;

(h) alarm numbers;

(i) data generated by a program in the memory; and

(j) function key designations.

15. The telephone monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the display is capable of displaying all items set forth in claim 14 simultaneously.

16. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 also comprising a disc attached to the memory and a program within the memory which causes automatic transfer of data from the memory to the disc whenever the memory contains a predetermined amount of data.

17. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the memory contains a program which enables data to be entered into the memory from the monitor and from the keyboard at the same time.

18. The telephone monitoring system of claim 1 also comprising a slave unit through which the monitor is attached to a target telephone line.