System and method for integrating call record information

• US 6,785,370 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• 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: Richter, John E., Glowny, David A., Ni, Phil Min
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/876,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/60, 379/88.09, 379/88.11, 379/88.22, 379/93.12, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/116, 379/265.03, 379/265.07, 379/266.1, 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 construct a call record for each telephone call; receive data regarding telephony events; match a received telephony event with a call record; update the matching call record based on the received telephony event data; and combine the updated call record with data indicating the location of recorded audio data for the segment of the call, to generate a master call record representing the lifetime of the telephone call. Additionally, the system and method are capable of assembling and playing back segments of telephone calls using the recorder locations described in the master call record for each telephone call, and of using the master call record to display a graphical representation of the telephone call.

Claims

1. A method for constructing and maintaining data representations of lifetimes of telephone calls comprising one or more segments, audio data for each segment being recorded on one or more recorders, the method comprising:

(a) constructing a call record for at least one telephone call;

(b) receiving data regarding telephony events associated with one or more telephone calls;

(c) matching a received telephony event with a constructed call record;

(d) updating the matching call record based on the received telephony event data; and

(e) combining the updated call record with data indicating the location of recorded audio data for the segment of the call, to obtain a master call record representing the lifetime of the telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of updating the matching call record comprises invoking one or more handler routines corresponding to the telephony event.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of translating the data regarding telephony events into a platform-specific format.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (c) a confidence factor algorithm is used to determine whether a match has been found.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the master call record comprises a serial number that identifies the telephone call.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the call record is updated with data fields describing each participant of the telephone call.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the call record is updated with data fields describing each participant of the telephone call.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of assembling and playing back segments of telephone calls using the recorder locations described in the master call record for each telephone call.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using the master call record to display a graphical representation of said telephone call.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of using the master call record to display a graphical representation of said telephone call.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the graphical representation comprises a representation of each segment of the telephone call.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of displaying a table comprising data from the master call record.

13. A computer program for constructing and maintaining data representations of lifetimes of telephone calls comprising one or more segments, audio data for each segment being recorded on one or more recorders, the computer program comprising:

(a) software for constructing a call record at least one telephone call;

(b) software for receiving data regarding telephony events associated with one or more telephone calls;

(c) software for matching a received telephony event with a constructed call record;

(d) software for updating the matching call record based on the received telephony event data; and

(e) software for combining the updated call record with data indicating the location of recorded audio data for the segment of the call, to obtain a master call record representing the lifetime of the telephone call.

14. The program of claim 13 wherein software for updating the matching call record comprises one or more handler routines corresponding to the telephony event.

15. The program of claim 13 further comprising software for translating the data regarding telephony events into a platform-specific format.

16. The program of claim 13 wherein the software for matching a received telephony event with a call record uses a confidence factor algorithm.

17. The program of claim 13 wherein the master call record comprises a serial number that identifies the telephone call.

18. The program of claim 13 wherein the call record is updated with data fields describing each participant of the telephone call.

19. The program of claim 13 further comprising software for assembling and playing back segments of telephone calls using the recorder locations described in the master call record for each telephone call.

20. The program of claim 13 further comprising software that uses the master call record to display a graphical representation of said telephone call.

21. The program of claim 19 further comprising software that uses the master call record to display a graphical representation of said telephone call.

22. The program of claim 20 wherein the graphical representation comprises a representation of each segment of the telephone call.

23. The program of claim 19 further comprising software for displaying a table comprising data from the master call record.

24. An article of manufacture storing a computer program for constructing and maintaining data representations of lifetimes of telephone calls comprising one or more segments, audio data for each segment being recorded on one or more recorders, the computer program comprising:

(a) software for constructing a call record for at least one telephone call;

(b) software for receiving data regarding telephony events associated with one or more telephone calls;

(c) software for matching a received telephony event with a constructed call record;

(d) software for updating the matching call record based on the received telephony event data; and

(e) software for combining the updated call record with data indicating the location of recorded audio data for the segment of the call, to obtain a master call record representing the lifetime of the telephone call.

25. The article of claim 24 wherein software for updating the matching call record comprises one of more handler routines corresponding to the telephony event.

26. The article of claim 24 wherein the computer program further comprises software for translating the data regarding telephony events into a platform-specific format.

27. A method for constructing and maintaining data representations of lifetimes of telephone calls comprising two or more segments, audio data for each segment being recorded on one or more recorders, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) constructing a call record for a telephone call comprising two or more segments;

(b) receiving data regarding one or more telephony events associated with the telephone call;

(c) matching said one or more received telephony events with said call record;

(d) updating said call record based on said received telephony event data; and

(e) combining said updated call record with data indicating one or more locations of recorded audio data for two or more segments of the call, to obtain a master call record representing the lifetime of said telephone call.

28. A method for constructing and maintaining data representations of lifetimes of telephone calls comprising two or more segments, the method comprising:

(a) constructing a call record for a telephone call comprising two or more segments, wherein at least one participant in said call participates in two or more of said segments;

(b) receiving data regarding one or more telephony events associated with the telephone call;

(c) matching said one or more received telephony events with said call record;

(d) updating said call record based on said received telephony event data; and

(e) combining said updated call record with data indicating one or more locations of recorded audio data for two or more segments of the call, to obtain a master call record representing the lifetime of said telephone call.