System and method for analysing communication streams

• US 7,466,816 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blair, Christopher Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/565,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20070160189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.04, 379/32.05, 379/265.03, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/265.14, 379261-262, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• 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 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

Communications systems are provided, a representative one of which incorporates: a recorder operative to record information associated with a communication; and a first computer application operative to provide a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface being configured such that, responsive to a user input designating a portion of the communication via the graphical user interface, information corresponding to that portion of the communication and recorded by the recorder is presented to the user, the first computer application being further operative to construct an integrated data stream comprising at least some of the information recorded.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a recorder operative to record information associated with a communication; and

a first computer application operative to provide a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface being configured such that, responsive to a user input designating a portion of the communication via the graphical user interface, information corresponding to that portion of the communication and recorded by the recorder is presented to the user, the first computer application being further operative to construct an integrated data stream comprising voice information associated with the communication and information corresponding to events that occurred during the communication;

wherein the integrated data stream is configured to enable the communication to be reconstructed such that the information forming the integrated data stream is presented, via the graphical user interface, as an integrated view;

wherein the system is configured to use at least some of the information recorded to identify predefined events occurring during the communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information recorded comprises at least two of the following:

voice information corresponding to the communication;

screen content corresponding to information displayed on a display screen of a workstation associated with the communication; and

input/output information corresponding to a workstation associated with the communication.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the input/output information comprises at least one of:

keystrokes entered at the workstation;

computer mouse actions entered at the workstation; and

network traffic emanating from, or terminating at, the workstation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the network traffic is Internet traffic.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated data stream is an integrated real-time data stream;

wherein the integrated real-time data stream is configured to enable the communication to be reconstructed such that the information corresponding to the events is correlated with the voice information of the communication.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the integrated real-time data stream is configured to enable the communication to be reconstructed such that the information corresponding to the events is presented, via the graphical user interface, with the voice information being accessible for replay responsive to user designation of a portion of the communication.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein, in the integrated real-time data stream, the information corresponding to the events is interleaved with the voice information of the communication.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second computer application operative to automatically score at least a portion of the communication that was recorded.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for automatically scoring at least a portion of the communication that was recorded.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the information recorded is voice information corresponding to the communication; and

the system further comprises a second computer application operative to automatically and selectively perform voice recognition analysis on at least a portion of the voice information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the information recorded is voice information corresponding to the communication; and

the system further comprises means for automatically performing voice recognition analysis on at least a portion of the voice information.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is further operative to display graphical indications of events occurring during the communication.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at least some of the events are inferred from analysis, in real-time or later, of keystrokes entered at a computer/terminal associated with the communication.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the events are inferred from analysis, in real-time or later, of computer mouse actions.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the events are inferred from analysis, in real-time or later, of network traffic emanating from, or terminating at, any one or more of a number of computers/terminals associated with the communication.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the events are inferred from analysis, in real-time or later, of words and/or prosody spoken during the communication.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the recorder and the first computer application are implemented in a call center.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communication corresponds to an interaction involving an agent of the call center.

19. A method for analyzing communication streams, the method comprising:

recording information associated with a communication;

providing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface being configured such that, responsive to a user input designating a portion of the communication via the graphical user interface, information corresponding to that portion of the communication and recorded by the recorder is presented to the user;

constructing an integrated data stream comprising at least voice information associated with the communication and information corresponding to events that occurred during the communication, wherein the integrated data stream is configured to enable the communication to be reconstructed such that the information forming the integrated data stream is presented, via the graphical user interface, as an integrated view; and

using at least some of the information recorded to identify predefined events occurring during the communication.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising a program for a method of analyzing communication streams, the program comprising logic for:

recording information associated with a communication;

providing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface being configured such that, responsive to a user input designating a portion of the communication via the graphical user interface, information corresponding to that portion of the communication and recorded by the recorder is presented to the user;

constructing an integrated data stream comprising at least voice information associated with the communication and information corresponding to events that occurred during the communication, wherein the integrated data stream is configured to enable the communication to be reconstructed such that the information forming the integrated data stream is presented, via the graphical user interface, as an integrated view; and

using at least some of the information recorded to identify predefined events occurring during the communication.