Method and apparatus for recording and managing communications for transcription

• US 5,828,730 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catuogno Court Reporting and Sten-Tel Transcription Incorporated
• Original Assignee: STEN-Tel, Inc.
• Inventors: Catuogno, Raymond Sr., Catuogno, George, Zebryk, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US08/630,549
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 369/25, 369/26, 369/27, 369/28, 369/29, 379/67, 379/74, 379/75, 379/88, 379/89
• US Class Current: 379/88.27
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656

Abstract

A server located at a first location for recording and managing communications for transcription generated at a second location. Clients contact the server to store communications for transcription. The client is given the option to create a user configurable profile that defines user identification data and recording options for that client. The user identification data includes a user identification number and an audible user identification which is associated with each user identification number. The communications are recorded based on the recording options in the user configurable profile. Exemplary recording options include file integrity and audio archiving. The server also provides the user with the ability to withhold a recording for completion at a later time.

Claims

1. A method for recording, at a first location, a communication at a second location, the first location being remote from the second location and interconnected by a communication medium, the method comprising:

creating a user configurable profile which defines user identification data and recording options for a user;

storing the user configurable profile;

recording the communication, said recording step being responsive to the recording options in the stored user configurable profile;

providing the recorded communication to a transcriptionist for transcription; and

receiving a transcribed communication from the transcriptionist;

wherein the user identification data includes a user identification number assigned to a user and an audible user identification which is associated with each user identification number and assigned to said user the audible user identification providing an audible confirmation of an entered user identification number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to enter the user identification number prior to recording; and

audibly outputting the audible user identification corresponding to the entered user identification number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording options include an audio archive option for enabling archival storage of the recording.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording step comprises withholding an unfinished job for subsequent completion.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising notifying the user that a job has been withheld and resuming recording of the withheld job.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising notifying the user that a job has been withheld and releasing the withheld job for transcription.

3. A method for recording, at a first location, a communication at a second location, the first location being remote from the second location and interconnected by a communication medium, the method comprising:

creating a user configurable profile which defines user identification data and recording options for a user;

storing the user configurable profile; and

recording the communication, said recording step being responsive to the recording options in the stored user configurable profile

wherein the user controls the recording through recording functions at the second location and the recording options includes an integrity option for disabling at least one of the recording functions while continuing to record the communications without utilizing the disabled recording function.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said disabled recording function is pause.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein said disabled recording function is rewind.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein said disabled recording function is fast forward.

11. A method for recording, at a first location, a communication at a second location, the first location being remote from the second location and interconnected by a communication medium, the method comprising:

receiving the communication from a client and storing the communication as an audio file in a storage medium;

automatically forwarding the audio file to a transcriptionist for transcription;

automatically receiving a transcription from the transcriptionist and saving the transcription as a text file; and

automatically purging the audio file corresponding to the transcription from the storage medium after saving the transcription as a text file.