Multiline computerized telephone monitoring system

• US 4,924,488 A
• Filed: 02/23/1989
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• 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
• Application Number:
  US07/314,449
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/35, 379/112, 379/113, 379/135, 379/136
• 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

In a telephone monitoring system a number of telephone lines are simultaneously monitored by a single monitor unit which connects the respective voltage signals transmitted by the lines into input signals having a digital format to a corresponding number of personal computers or in the alternative to a mainframe computer which is accessible by a number of keyboards corresponding in number to the number of lines being monitored. An operator responds to the input signals from the telephone lines by entering comment data through the keyboard as the data corresponding to the input signals is simultaneously displayed on the screen associated with each keyboard. Each personal computer or the single mainframe is programmed to store, retrieve and analyze the data simultaneously received from the monitor and the respective keyboard. As the data is being processed it is displayed on the respective screen and/or is available in printed form from a printer linked through the monitor unit to each of the personal computers or the mainframe computer.

Claims

1. A telephone monitoring system comprising,

monitor means for attachment to at least one of a number of target telephone lines to simultaneously sense voltage changes on the lines and convert the voltage changes into data input capable of being stored,

a number of computers corresponding in number to the number of target telephone lines being sensed for voltage changes by said monitor means,

each computer having a memory unit with a program and a keyboard to allow an operator to input data into said memory,

means for electrically connecting said computer memory unit of each computer through said monitor to the respective target telephone line for the transmission of input data from the telephone line to said monitor and therefrom to said computer memory unit,

a processing unit associated with each computer for receiving and processing data from said monitor means and said keyboard to develop responsive data by operation of said program contained in said memory unit, and

a display screen associated with each computer and connected to said processing unit, said keyboard, and said memory unit for independently displaying data entered through said monitor in response to the input data from the respective telephone lines and data entered from the keyboard and developed by said processing unit.

2. A telephone monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a printer connected to said monitor means, and

means for linking each computer through said monitor means to said printer.

3. A telephone monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a central computer, and

means for connecting said central computer to said monitor means to simultaneously receive and store for retrieval input data corresponding to the voltage changes transmitted by all of the target telephone lines.

4. A telephone monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a central computer, and

means for connecting said computers to said central computer for receiving and centrally storing for retrieval the input data received by each computer from said computer memory unit.

5. A telephone monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said monitor means includes a plurality of monitor components corresponding in number to the number of target telephone lines being monitored, and

means for connecting each component to a respective one of said computers to transmit the input data from the target telephone lines for simultaneous processing by said computer processing units.

6. A telephone monitoring system as set forth in claim 5 which includes,

a printer, and

means for connecting said printer through each component to said computers to provide a printout of the input data received from the target telephone lines and of the data inputted through each of said keyboards to said components respectively.

7. A method for simultaneously monitoring a number of target telephone lines comprising the steps of,

connecting a number of target telephone lines to a monitor for simultaneously transmitting thereto voltage signal corresponding to conversation transmitted by the target telephone lines,

converting the voltage signals from each target telephone line into a digital format,

transmitting the digital format as input data to a number of computers corresponding in number to the number of target telephone lines being monitored,

processing simultaneously the input data for each of the target telephone lines in accordance with a program contained in the memory of the computers,

generating responsive data based on the input data and displaying the responsive data on screens of the respective computers,

storing the responsive data in the memory of the respective computers,

inputting additional data by an operator into the respective computers in response to input data processed by each computer and the responsive data displayed on each computer screen, and

displaying output data on each computer screen in response to the input data from the respective target telephone lines and the additional data inputted by the operator by operation of the program contained in the memory of the respective computers.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 which includes,

linking each of the target telephone lines through a corresponding slave unit to a monitoring unit for receiving the voltage signals from each target telephone line and converting the signals into the digital format.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 which includes,

connecting each of the computers to a single printer.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 which includes,

printing the input data received from the target telephone lines in digital form by the printer, and

printing the additional data inputted by the operator and the data generated in response to the input data received from the target telephone lines.

11. A method as set forth in claim 7 which includes,

individually monitoring each voltage signal coming from the respective target telephone lines, and

providing a printout in a digital format corresponding the voltage signals while simultaneously processing the input data corresponding to the voltage signal.

12. A method as set forth in claim 7 which includes,

simultaneously displaying on the screen of each computer the responsive data based on the input data from the respective target telephone lines and the additional data inputted by the operator in response to the input data.

13. A method as set forth in claim 7 which includes,

processing the input data by each computer corresponding to the respective target telephone line and generating information from the respective target telephone line including the target telephone number, the telephone number being called, time and date of call, call type, and length of call, and

printing out in numerical form the information generated.

14. A method for simultaneously monitoring a number of target telephone lines comprising the steps of,

connecting a number of target telephone lines to a monitor for simultaneously transmitting thereto voltage signals corresponding to conversation transmitted by the target telephone lines,

converting the voltage signals from each target telephone line into a digital format,

transmitting the digital format from each target telephone line as input data to a mainframe computer,

processing simultaneously the input data for each of the target telephone lines in accordance with a program contained in the memory of the mainframe computer,

generating responsive data based on the input data and displaying the responsive data on a number of screens corresponding in number to the number of target telephone lines being monitored,

storing the responsive data in the memory of the mainframe computer,

inputting additional data by an operator into the mainframe computer in response to input data processed by the mainframe computer and the responsive data displayed on each screen, and

displaying output data on each screen in response to the input data from the respective target telephone lines and the additional data inputted by the operator by operation of the program contained in the memory of the mainframe computer.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 which includes,

connecting a keyboard to each screen and the mainframe computer, and

entering data through the keyboard in response to the data displayed on the respective screen and being processed by the mainframe computer.

16. A method as set forth in claim 14 which includes,

connecting the mainframe computer through the monitor to a printer by which a numerical printout of the input data from each target telephone line, the responsive data from the mainframe computer, and the additional data by the operator is printed.

17. A method as set forth in claim 14 which includes,

processing the input data from each target telephone line by the mainframe computer to generate a readout including target line telephone number, telephone number called, time and date of call, call type, and length of call.