Communication management system for computer network-based telephones

• US 7,581,001 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STS Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: STS Systems Limited
• Inventors: Bar, Eitan, Yosef, Ilan, Nisani, Mordechai, Shporer, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khajuria; Shripal K
• Application Number:
  US11/100,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 379/69
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring a computer network to detect data packets including audio or video data, such packets being part of a communication session, for storing these packets and for reconstructing the communication session upon request. To enable the system to store packets independently of the protocol used to set up the communication session, for example in a Voice Over IP environment, the system includes a link to the gatekeeper of the computer network.

Claims

1. A management control unit connected to a computer network for use in a computer network-based telephone communication session that comprises voice over IP transmission of data packets, consisting of:

(a) a first, bi-directional communication link to a user computer having a user interface, a keyboard, and a display, the first link conveying a request from a user to the management control unit and displaying at least a portion of the computer network-based telephone communication session;

(b) a second communication link to the computer network-based telephone communication session for connecting to the computer network and for receiving the data packets from the computer network;

(c) a third, bi-directional communication link to a storage unit that stores at least a portion of the data packets that are associated with the voice over IP transmission;

(d) a fourth link between a gatekeeper and the management unit that transmits CTI or CDR data related to the data packets of the voice over IP transmission of the computer network-based telephone communication session, free of any dependence on any communication protocol;

(e) a database that stores call details transmitted on said fourth link and included in the CTI or CDR data;

(f) a fifth, bi-directional communication link to a data restore module, the data restore module having at least a video codec or an audio codec and being configured to restore at least the portion of the voice over IP transmission of the computer network-based telephone communication session;

(g) means for retrieving from the storage unit one or more data packets and for transferring same across the fifth communication link to the data restore unit in response to the request by the user at the user computer; and

(h) means for filtering the data packets that comprise the voice over IP transmission of the computer network-based telephone communication session, wherein the filtering means is in communication with the database and the computer network-based telephone communication session and is operative to select from among the data packets of the computer network-based telephone communication session such that the filtered data packets form at least a portion of the voice over IP transmission,

wherein the storage unit stores the filtered data packets.

2. The management control unit of claim 1, wherein the portion of the data packets that are associated with the voice over IP transmission of the computer network-based telephone communication session comprise RTP or RTCP packets.

3. A system for managing a communication session over a computer network that includes a gate keeper, the system comprising:

(a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network;

(b) a filtering unit for filtering said data packets, such that said data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that said data packets are selected data packets;

(c) a management unit for receiving said selected data packets and for storing said selected data packets, such that said selected data packets are stored data packets; and

(d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing said stored data packets from said management unit, such that said at least a portion of the communication session is stored;

characterized in that said filtering unit accepts said data packets substantially only if said data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, and in that the system further comprises;

(e) a link, between the gatekeeper and said management unit, for transferring information related to said data packets from the gatekeeper to said management unit.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

(f) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying said at least a portion of the communication session, said data restore unit requesting said data packets from said storage medium through said management unit, and said data restore unit reconstructing said data packets for displaying said at least a portion of the communication session.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying said at least a portion of the communication session.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

(g) a database connected to said filtering unit for storing filtering information, said filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored,

wherein said filtering unit accepts said data packets according to said filtering information, such that said filtering unit substantially only accepts said data packets if said data packets fulfill said filtering information.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

(h) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to said user, such that said user determines said filtering information according to said at least one command of said user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network).

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer network is a LAN (local area network).

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising:

(i) a local management unit for each segment, said local management unit including said filtering unit and said management unit; and

(j) a central management unit for controlling said local management units, said central management unit controlling storage in said storage medium.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein said network connector is a network interface card.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the selected data packets comprise RTP or RTCP packets.