Method and system for multimedia network based data acquisition, recording and distribution

• US 6,751,297 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cognyte Software Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Comverse Infosys, Inc.
• Inventors: Nelkenbaum, Yossi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/732,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/69, 379/74, 379/83, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 379/900, 379/908, 379/902, 379/202.01, 379/205.01, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An intelligent digital recording system, in conjunction with public centralized network resources, provides wide area multimedia (Fax, Internet, Screens, Video, Voice, etc.) recording SERVICES. The architecture allows parallel recording from a variety of communication sources, i.e., wireline and wireless networks etc. and the stored data can be accessed by the end users via a variety of multimedia mediums or can be distributed to the users on a predetermined schedule using several different storage and/or transmission mediums.

Claims

1. An intelligent multimedia communications recording system used in conjunction with standard public centralized networks, the system comprising:

a plurality of multimedia devices each device connected to one or more public networks and operable to transmit and/or receive communications from other multimedia devices, wherein said public networks are wireline or wireless networks;

a plurality of predefined recorded numbers (PRNs), each PRN representing a respective identity of each member of a subset of the plurality of multimedia devices, wherein each PRN can correspond to either a sending device or a receiving device and is determined based upon PRN rules provided by a user;

an access means for performing an identification of selected communications corresponding to said PRNs and channeling only the selected communications to an acquisition means, said identification being performed based on acquisition rules provided by said user;

a recording means connected to said acquisition means for storing and archiving the channeled communications and placing them in a condition for either retrieval by, or distribution to, said user;

a retrieval means connected to said recording means for providing access to said stored and/or archived communications;

a distribution means connected to said recording means for delivering said recorded and/or archived communications to said user based on delivery rules provided by said user.

2. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said multimedia devices include devices from the group consisting of a standard telephone, a Voice over Internet telephone, a fax machine, a video camera, a modem and a computer.

3. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said access means channels said selected communications to the acquisition means by utilization of forced routing technology.

4. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said access means channels said selected communications to the acquisition means by utilization of conferencing technology.

5. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said access means channels said selected communications to the acquisition means by utilization of a switch emulator.

6. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein sniffing technology is used for channeling said selected communications.

7. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said selected communications recorded by said recording means includes call content data and signaling data.

8. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said selected communications recorded by said recording means also includes Computer Telephone Information (CTI).

9. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an access administration means for determining which of the plurality of multimedia devices will operate as PRNs, wherein said access administration means employs an Intelligent Network infrastructure and/or the Intelligent Call Routing (ICR) platform.

10. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said acquisition means comprises:

a classification means for classifying each of said selected communications into a type of transmission;

a compression means for compressing said selected communications into compressed data; and

a buffering means for storing said compressed data.

11. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said acquisition means utilizes in-band signaling provided by said user, wherein the in-band signaling includes the rules that define whether or not a selected communication is to be recorded.

12. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said recording means stores both the call content and the call data of the selected communications and performs either modem passive or active demodulation and/or fax decoding and/or Internet product decoding on said stored communications.

13. A multimedia communications recording system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said distribution means includes means that allows the user to access the stored communications from a remote location.

14. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said user pays for use of the system based on utilization of specific services with respect to a plurality of different recording methods and/or distribution/retrieval methods.

15. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein parties to the recorded communications are notified that the communication is being recorded either prior to or during the communication.

16. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said access means channels said selected communications to the acquisition means by utilization of passive tapping techniques.

17. An intelligent communications recording system used in conjunction with standard public centralized networks, the system comprising:

one or more access devices connected to a public network, said public network also being connected to a plurality of multimedia communication devices and said access devices being operable to channel selected communications that either originate at, or are directed to, one or more predetermined ones of said multimedia communication devices;

an access administrator associated with each access device, said access administrator being operable to determine said selected communications;

one or more acquisition devices connected to said access devices, said acquisition devices being operable to acquire and process the selected communications from said access devices;

one or more recording devices connected to the acquisition devices through a network, each of said recording devices operable to receive said selected communications from the acquisition devices and further operable to store and archive said selected communications; and

one or more distribution devices connected to said recording devices, each of said distribution devices being operable to deliver said stored and archived communication based on a predetermined set of retrieval rules.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said acquisition devices are further operable to classify the selected communications into one or more of a plurality of data types.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said acquisition devices are further operable to store and forward the selected communications.

20. A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said recording device is controlled via in-band signaling.

21. A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein each multimedia communication device from which communications are to be recorded is associated with a Predefined Recording Number (PRN) and the system is capable of recording selected communications based on a set of case rules, wherein said case rules define a set of PRNs from independent networks.

22. A method for managing intelligent, network-based, multi-media recording and distribution services for distributed business organizations via a wide-area public switched telecom network or a wireless network, said method comprising:

establishing telecom links with a plurality of service access nodes in the public telecom network for accessing subscriber calls, containing both voice and data;

assigning unique PRN values to each of a subset of communications devices connected to the public telecom network;

defining PRN parameters that identify communications to be acquired, wherein the identification of the communications to be acquired is based at least on the PRN value assigned to a communication device from which the acquired communication is initiated or to which the acquired communication is directed;

processing call content and call information directed through a transfer data network to at least one recording center;

establishing at least one recording administration module for defining and controlling recording, and all associated recording processing and storage policies, and retrieval/distribution services of said subscriber calls derived from the public network; and

transferring retrieval/distribution data through a retrieval/distribution data network to at least one workstation for providing said retrieval/distribution service.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said distributed business organizations comprise small organizations and private users.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

implementing an end-user'"'"'s system administration function for services provided, including system maintenance and control in said access administration module.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing supervision for said system administration function by at least one system administrator.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one acquisition management module collects, stores, and processes information from a plurality of networks.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said plurality of networks comprises circuit switch telephony networks, IP telephony networks, and data networks.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said data networks comprise ISP networks and GPRS networks.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said recording and playback services are provided to end-users in a secure manner so as to assure privacy for each of said end-users with respect to the storage, retrieval and distribution of said data.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said recording and retrieval/distribution services comprise multi-media (MM) transactions including recording, storing, and playback of audio, video, fax, modem communications, Web communications, and monitoring screens.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said MM transactions are accomplished manually.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said MM transactions are accomplished retroactively, after said transactions have been completed.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said MM transactions are accomplished automatically and are rule-based.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein said recording is enabled for each end-user of said network system, for control of recordings attributable to said each end-user.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said control comprises setting recording on or off for a specified period of time.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said control comprises setting recording on or off while a call is in progress.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said control is performed by pressing predefined telephone buttons.

38. The method of claim 22, wherein said plurality of service access nodes provides access for end-users to stored data via Internet as well as telephony connections.

39. The method of claim 22, wherein said recording and retrieval/distribution services are provided via at least one of E-mail, CD, DVD, digital tape and telephony, on a periodic basis in accordance with subscriber agreements.

40. The method of claim 22, wherein said recording and retrieval/distribution services comprise fax services.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said fax services comprise recording, demodulation, and classified storage over end-user defined time intervals between short term and a long-term period.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said fax services are provided to end-users from any location via at least one of Internet connection and on-site fax machine.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein said call information is enabled by a CTI protocol connected with the end-user'"'"'s PBX.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein said internal data comprises identification of the call monitoring agent acquiring said call.

43. A system for managing intelligent, network-based, multi-media recording and playback services to distributed business organizations via a wide-area public telecom network, said system comprising:

a plurality of service access nodes connected to telecom links in the public telecom network;

a plurality of communication devices each having access to the public telecom network, wherein each of a subset of said plurality of communication devices is assigned a PRN value;

at least one access administration module for defining PRN parameters that identify communications to be acquired, wherein the identification of the communications to be acquired is based at least on the PRN value assigned to a communication device from which the acquired communication is initiated or to which the acquired communication is directed;

at least one acquisition management module for processing content and call information directed through a transfer data network to at least one recording center;

at least one recording administration module for processing recording and playback information derived from said public network; and

at least one playback workstation to receive playback data for playback service.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said recording and playback system further comprises a system maintenance and control function implemented in said end-user'"'"'s access administration module.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein said system provides synchronization and integration of call information from telephony trunks with internal data from within the organization of said end-user in order to enrich the data collected.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said synchronization is achieved by matching the call data which is mutual among both channels:

the call start and end time and the calling number.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein said call information comprises call times, called party, calling party, and like information.

50. The system of claim 43, wherein said recording is automatic and rules-based.

51. The system of claim 43, wherein said recording is accomplished manually.

52. The system of claim 43, wherein said recording is accomplished during said call or retroactively after the completion of each of said calls.

53. The system of claim 43, wherein said administration modules is supervised by at least one system administrator for each administration module in said system.

54. The system of claim 43, wherein said recording and playback services are provided via at least one option selected from the group:

wireline telephone, wireless telephone, E-mail with voice attachment, voice-over-Internet (VoIP), voice over intranet, recording media, and a dedicated workstation provided with a modem.

55. The system of claim 43, configured in an open, flexible, and expandable architecture allowing parallel recording from all communications sources and adaptation to a variety of telecommunications technologies without regard to end-user interfaces and MM interfaces, enabling both centralized recording and distributed playback access such that:

for small organizations and private users, monitoring is performed at the network provider, while data can be put at the network provider; and

for larger organizations, monitoring is performed at the network provider, while data can be put inside the organization of the specific end-user.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein said open architecture is centralized.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein said open architecture is distributed.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein said architecture uses the bandwidth of the network to enable broadband MM services, including video.

59. The system of claim 55, wherein said architecture provides for access load balancing.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein said load balancing comprises allocation by said system of a plurality of access points and distribution of said access points among the network switches.

61. The system of claim 43, wherein said administration modules provide access to centralized fax recording, demodulation, and classified storage services.

62. The system of claim 43, wherein said administration modules provides access to a fax logger with archiving and remote access features.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein said fax logger transmits faxes to E-mail and E-mail to faxes in a centralized system.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein said fax logger is operable from a fixed-line telephone serving as a long-term recorder.

65. The system of claim 62, wherein said fax logger is operable from a cellular telephone serving as a long-term recorder.