System and method for multi-channel recording

• US 8,135,115 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Hogg, John S. Jr., McFarlen, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US11/603,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 370259-271, 370351-356, 379 37- 51, 379 671- 8828, 379 9301- 9307, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 37920201-20701, 37926501-2661, 704270-278, 709201-207, 709217-244
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to recording communication of a call utilizing a multi-channel recording technique. According to one exemplary embodiment, inbound communication from each party to a call (e.g., from each communication device that is party to a call) to a recording system is assigned to a separate channel, and communication on each channel is independently recorded. Further, during the call, a control channel is generated that correlates the multiple communication channels. The independently recorded communication channels and control channel may be used to analyze a recorded call from any desired perspective. For instance, communication from a given party may be analyzed in isolation. Further, the control channel enables the recorded multiple communication channels to be correlated such that the communication received (e.g., heard) by any selected party may be accurately re-created for analysis thereof.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing, by a computing system,

receiving a first audio signal via a first audio channel corresponding to a first outbound path of a first communication device operated by a first party to a communication, wherein the first party is a resident of a controlled-environment facility;

storing the first audio signal in a memory;

receiving a second audio signal via a second audio channel corresponding to a second outbound path of a second communication device operated by a second party to the communication, wherein the second party is a non-resident of a controlled-environment facility;

storing the second audio signal in the memory, the second audio signal stored separately from the first audio signal;

generating a control signal that includes information configured to enable a temporal correlation between the first and second audio signals, the control signal configured to classify the first communication device in a subset of communication devices in a listening group and the second communication device in another subset of the communication devices in a talking group, and to dynamically re-classify the first communication device into the talking group and out of the listening group as the communication progresses; and

storing the control signal in the memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the computing system,

receiving a third audio signal via a third audio channel corresponding to a third outbound path of a third communication device involved in the communication; and

storing the third audio signal in the memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the third device is an interactive voice response (IVR) system configured to set up the communication between the first and second parties.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the first audio signal corresponds to a period of time during the communication when the first party is in communication with the IVR system and not in communication with the second party.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least another portion of the first audio signal corresponds to a subsequent period of time during the communication when the first party is not in communication with the second party and the IVR system is in communication with the second party.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least yet another portion of the first audio signal corresponds to a yet subsequent period of time during the communication when the first party is in communication with the second party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal indicates a point in time where a third party is added to the communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the control signal indicates another point in time where at least one of the first, second, or third parties leaves the communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is embedded within at least one of the first or second audio signals.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the computing system,

generating an application data signal that includes call detail record information with respect to the communication; and

storing the application data signal in the memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the application data signal indicates a three-way calling event occurring during the progress of the communication.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the computing system,

generating an external data signal that includes location information with respect to the first party; and

storing the external data signal in the memory.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the computing system,

in response to a selection by a user, enabling reconstruction of the communication from the perspective of the first party at least in part by allowing the user to playback the second audio signal to the exclusion of the first audio signal.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the computing system,

in response to a selection by a user, enabling identification of the origin of a sound at least in part by allowing the user to selectively playback one of the first or second audio signals to the exclusion of the other.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store program instructions, and the program instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to;

receive a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of audio channels, each of the plurality of audio channels corresponding to a single outbound path of a respective one of a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of the communication devices operated by a different party to a same communication;

separately store each of the plurality of audio signals;

generate a control signal that includes information configured to enable a temporal correlation among the plurality of audio signals, the control signal configured to classify a subset of the plurality of communication devices in a listening group and another subset of the plurality of communication devices in a talking group, and to dynamically re-classify a given communication device into the talking group and out of the listening group as the communication progresses; and

store the control signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the different parties is a resident of a controlled-environment facility, and wherein a second one of the different parties is a non-resident of the controlled-environment facility.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising receiving an audio signal from an interactive voice response (IVR) system configured to set up the communication between a first one of the different parties and a second one of the different parties.

18. The system of claim 17, the program instructions further executable by the processor to cause the system to:

store a first portion of a first audio signal corresponding to a first period of time during the communication when a first one of the different parties is in communication with the IVR system and not in communication with a second of the different parties;

store a second portion of the first audio signal corresponding to a second period of time during the communication when the first one of the different parties is not in communication with the second one of the different parties and the IVR system is in communication with the second one of the different parties; and

store a third portion of the first audio signal corresponding to a third period of time during the communication when the first one of the different parties is in communication with the second one of the different parties.

19. The system of claim 15, the program instructions further executable by the processor to cause the system to:

generate an application data signal that includes call detail record information with respect to the communication; and

store the application data signal.

20. The system of claim 15, the program instructions further executable by the processor to cause the system to:

generate an external data signal that includes location information with respect to a given one of the different parties; and

store the external data signal.

21. The system of claim 15, the program instructions further executable by the processor to cause the system to:

in response to a command from a user, enable reconstruction of the communication from the perspective of a first one of the different parties at least in part by allowing the user to playback a portion of the plurality of audio signals that excludes an audio signal corresponding to the first party.

22. The system of claim 15, the program instructions further executable by the processor to cause the system to:

in response to a command from a user, enable identification of the origin of a sound at least in part by allowing the user to selectively playback at least a given one of the plurality of audio signals to the exclusion of at least another one of the plurality of audio signals.

23. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a computing system, cause the computing system to:

receive a first audio signal via a first audio channel corresponding to an outbound path of a first communication device operated by a first party to a communication;

receive a second audio signal via a second audio channel corresponding to an outbound path of a second communication device operated by a second party to the communication;

generate a control signal that includes mixing information configured to correlate the first and second audio signals, the control signal configured to classify the second communication device in a subset of communication devices in a listening group and the first communication device in another subset of the communication devices in a talking group, and to dynamically re-classify the second communication device into the talking group and out of the listening group as the communication progresses;

generate an application data signal that includes call detail record information with respect to the communication;

generate an external data signal that includes location information with respect to at least one of the first or second parties to the communication;

store the first audio signal, the second audio signal, the control signal, the application data signal, and the external data signal.

24. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the first party is a resident of a controlled-environment facility, and wherein the second party is a non-resident of the controlled-environment facility.

25. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, further comprising receiving a third audio signal from an interactive voice response (IVR) system configured to set up the communication between the first and second parties.

26. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein to store the first audio signal, the program instructions upon execution by the computing system further cause the computing system to:

store a portion of the first audio signal corresponding to a first period of time during the communication when the first party is in communication with the IVR system and not in communication with the second party;

store another portion of the first audio signal corresponding to a second period of time during the communication when the first party is not in communication with the second party and the IVR system is in communication with the second party; and

store yet another portion of the first audio signal corresponding to a third period of time during the communication when the first party is in communication with the second party.

27. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the program instructions upon execution by the computing system further cause the computing system to:

in response to a command from a user, enable reconstruction of the communication from the perspective of the first party at least in part by allowing the user to playback the second audio signal to the exclusion of the first audio signal.

28. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to further cause the system to:

in response to a command from a user, enable identification of the origin of a sound at least in part by allowing the user to selectively playback the first audio signal to the exclusion of the second audio signal.