Virtual transcription system

• US 5,875,436 A
• Filed: 08/27/1996
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Datalink Systems Incorporated (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/699,717
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.33, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.57, 369/24, 369/25, 369/29, 369/34, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computerized transcription system is based on a transcribe server that receives voice messages over long distance links, assigns jobs to technicians at remote locations, sends voice files to and receives transcribed work from the technicians, forwards transcribed copies to instructed and preprogrammed destinations, informs subscribers of completion, and calculates and forwards accounting to subscribers. In extended aspects the system comprises multiple such servers networked together. Technicians at remote locations are paged in a preferred embodiment, and have an option to accept or decline a job. Upon acceptance the work is transmitted. Upon completion technicians return transcribed versions of jobs to the transcribe server, where forwarding is accomplished based on preprogrammed and attached instructions.

Claims

1. A transcription system comprising:

a transcribe server for receiving and processing information to be transcribed; and

communication apparatus connected to the transcribe server for electronic communication with external stations, the communication apparatus including one or more of apparatus adapted for analog voice transmission, Internet access and communication, facsimile communication, and pager communication;

wherein, over the communication apparatus, the transcribe server receives from a subscriber substantially voice-based information to be transcribed, selects and alerts a transcribe technician from preprogrammed information, sends the substantially voice-based information to the transcribe technician, receives a transcribed version of the substantially voice-based information from the transcribe technician, informs the subscriber of progress, forwards copies of the transcribed version to selected forwarding stations, and calculates and transmits billing to the subscriber.

2. A transcription system as in claim 1 wherein multiple transcription servers arc incorporated and networked.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the information to be transcribed is accompanied by specific instructions for one or both of processing and forwarding.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the transcribe server is preprogrammed with data pertinent to particular subscribers, including processing and forwarding recipes, which the transcribe server follows unless otherwise directed.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein forwarding comprises one or more of e-mail, facsimile transmission, surface mail, and package services.

6. A transcribe server comprising:

a recording and listing module adapted for receiving from subscribers and recording voice-based messages including instructions for processing and forwarding copies of transcribed versions;

an alert module adapted for enlisting transcribe technicians, forwarding the voice-based messages including processing instructions to the transcribe technicians, and for receiving and storing transcribed versions of the voice-based messages returned by the transcribe technicians;

a forwarding module adapted for forwarding the transcribed versions to preselected destinations; and

an accounting module adapted for calculating billing and forwarding billing information to the subscribers.

7. The transcribe server of claim 6 wherein specific processing and forwarding instructions are preprogrammed for specific subscribers.

8. The transcribe server of claim 6 wherein transcribe technicians are alerted by paging links.

9. The transcribe server of claim 6 wherein forwarding is done by one or more of e-mail, facsimile service, surface mail, and commercial package services.

10. The transcribe server of claim 6 wherein an accounting algorithm used by the accounting module accounts for one or more of minutes spoken, words or character style, pages typed, priority level a subscriber may have requested, and mailing methods instructed and used.