System and method for data recording

• US 6,246,752 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nice Systems Incorporated (Nice Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Dictaphone Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bscheider, Valerie, Richter, John E., Glowny, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/328,298
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.09, 379/88.11, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 379/93.12, 379/93.23, 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/116, 379/265, 379/266, 379/267, 379/309, 360/5, 360/6, 360/55
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• 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 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring a telephone switching environment. In a preferred embodiment the system and method simultaneously monitor both an SMDR link and a real-time CTI link, gather information about calls from both sources, and combine gathered information into a single data model of the telephony activity. A server is provided which in a preferred embodiment comprises two main modules: a translation module and a message router module. Several translation modules can be used—one for each PBX interface or vendor API layer. The server accepts data from a PBX or similar equipment in a telephone switch environment, and can use both real-time CTI communications links and asynchronous information sources such as the Station Message Detail Recording (SMDR) interface. The server then translates and combines the various types of data into a unified, normalized format.

Claims

1. A method of recording telephone call information comprising:

(a) electronically receiving data from a first source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls, wherein said data from said first source is real-time data;

(b) electronically receiving data from a second source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls, wherein said data from said second source is asynchronous data; and

(c) electronically combining event data from said first source and event data from said second source into a single call record when event data from said first and second sources is related to the same telephone call.

2. A method of recording telephone call information comprising:

(a) electronically receiving data from a first source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls, wherein said first source is a CTI link;

(b) electronically receiving data from a second source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls, wherein said second source is an SMDR link; and

(c) electronically combining event data from said first source and event data from said second source into a single call record when event data from said first and second sources is related to the same telephone call.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of converting said event data from said first and said second sources into a platform-specific format, and transmitting said converted data to a target platform.

4. A computer program executable to process telephone call information, comprising:

(a) one or more data collection threads for receiving data regarding telephony events from a plurality of sources, wherein at least one of said sources is an SMDR link;

(b) one or more data normalization threads for combining event data received via the data collection threads into call records; and

(c) one or more message emitter threads for converting data from the one or more data normalization threads into a format specific to a target platform, and transmitting said converted data to the target platform.

5. The program of claim 4 wherein at least one of the sources providing data regarding telephony events is a CTI link.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium storing a computer program for processing telephone call information, comprising:

(a) one or more data collection threads for receiving data regarding telephony events from a plurality of sources, wherein at least one of said sources is an SMDR link;

(b) one or more data normalization threads for combining event data received via the data collection threads into call records; and

(c) one or more message emitter threads for converting data from the one or more data normalization threads into a format specific to a target platform, and transmitting said converted data to the target platform.

7. The article of claim 6 wherein at least one of the sources providing data regarding telephony events is a CTI link.

8. A computer program controlling software components for processing telephone call information comprising:

(a) computer software for receiving real-time data from a first source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls;

(b) computer software for receiving asynchronous data from a second source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls; and

(c) computer software for combining event data from said first source and event data from said second source into a single call record when event data from said first and second sources is related to the same telephone call.

9. The program of claim 8 wherein said first source is a CTI link and said second source is an SMDR link.

10. The program of claim 8 wherein the software for combining event data uses a confidence factor to match incoming event data with existing call records.

11. The program of claim 9 wherein the software for combining event data uses a confidence factor to match incoming event data with existing call records.

12. The program of claim 9 further comprising software for converting said data into a platform-specific format, and software for transmitting said converted data to a target platform.

13. The program of claim 11 further comprising software for converting said data into a platform-specific format, and software for transmitting said converted data to a target platform.

14. An article of manufacture storing a computer program controlling software components for processing telephone call information comprising:

(a) computer software for receiving real-time data from a first source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls;

(b) computer software for receiving asynchronous data from a second source regarding telephony events related to one or more telephone calls; and

(c) computer software for combining event data from said first source and event data from said second source into a single call record when event data from said first and second sources is related to the same telephone call.

15. The article of claim 14 wherein said real-time data is from a CTI link and said asynchronous data is from an SMDR link.

16. The article of claim 14 wherein the software for combining event data uses a confidence factor to match incoming event data with existing call records.

17. The article of claim 15 wherein the software for combining event data uses a confidence factor to match incoming event data with existing call records.

18. The article of claim 14 wherein the program further comprises software for converting said data into a platform-specific format, and software for transmitting said converted data to a target platform.

19. The article of claim 15 wherein the program further comprises software for converting said data into a platform-specific format, and software for transmitting said converted data to a target platform.

20. The article of claim 16 wherein the program further comprises software for converting said data into a platform-specific format, and software for transmitting said converted data to a target platform.

21. The article of claim 17 wherein the program further comprises software for converting said data into a platform-specific format, and software for transmitting said converted data to a target platform.