Redirecting and mirroring of telephonic communications

• US 8,605,878 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Claudatos, Christopher, Andruss, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoque, Nafiz E
• Application Number:
  US11/173,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,085 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.22, 379/198, 379/199, 379/211.01
• US Class Current: 379/198
• 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 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Initiating a communication is disclosed. An identifier associated with an intended destination with which the calling party desires to establish communication is received from a calling party. Communication with a compliance node is established. An identifier is provided to the compliance node. The compliance node is configured to establish with the intended destination a communication session in which the compliance node, the intended destination, and the calling party are participants.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a communication, comprising:

receiving, at a line monitor between a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) device and an external telephone network, a request from a second communication participant to establish communication, wherein the request includes a public alphanumeric call number associated with a first communication participant;

using the line monitor to automatically establish a connection with a compliance node in response to receiving the request that includes the public alphanumeric call number, wherein;

the line monitor sends line state and Automatic Number Identification (ANI) information to the compliance node; and

the connection with the compliance node is transparent to at least the second communication participant;

sending, from the compliance node to the PBX device, a non-public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant, wherein the compliance node stores a mapping from the public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant to the non-public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant;

after the connection with the compliance node is established, using the PBX device to include the first communication participant in a 3-way call between the first communication participant, the second communication participant, and the compliance node by conferencing in the first communication participant using the non-public alphanumeric call number received from the compliance node; and

providing to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants, wherein the compliance node performs compliance processing with respect to said at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants includes establishing a communication session in which the compliance node, the first communication participant, and the second communication participant are participants.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants includes mirroring to the compliance node said at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein compliance processing includes one or more of:

monitoring, recording, archiving, indexing, retrieving, analyzing, controlling, blocking, and modifying communication information.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication comprises one or more of the following:

voice data including conversation content and tone/character/accent/gender of voice, background call noise, data associated with devices of with call participants, data associated with communication service providers, data associated with routing devices, data associated with other devices associated with a compliance system, and any audible or binary data associated with the call.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein compliance processing includes blocking or modifying the communication according to a call blocking policy based at least in part on one or more of the following:

a list of allowed call participants, a list of non-allowed call participants, a list of allowed call participant groupings, and a list of non-allowed call participant groups.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein compliance processing includes storing data associated with the communication according to an archive policy on a storage medium.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the storage medium includes one or more of the following:

a hard drive, optical storage, a data tape, an audio tape, a backup server, a networked storage, a Storage Area Network, and a Network Attached Storage.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein storing data further includes one or more of the following:

information conversion, audio digitalization, voice to text translation, encoding format conversion, data filtering, data compression, and data encryption.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second request from the second communication participant to establish communication, wherein the second request includes the non-public alphanumeric call number;

in response to receiving the second request, determining whether the second communication participant is the compliance node;

establishing a connection to the first communication participant in the event it is determined the second communication participant is the compliance node; and

refraining from establishing a connection to the first communication participant in the event it is determined the second communication participant is not the compliance node.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the request from the second communication participant to establish communication is received the PBX device; and

automatically establishing the connection with the compliance node includes using the PBX device to automatically establish the connection with the compliance node.

12. A computer program product for receiving a communication, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving, at a line monitor between a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) device and an external telephone network, a request from a second communication participant to establish communication, wherein the request includes a public alphanumeric call number associated with a first communication participant;

using the line monitor to automatically establish a connection with a compliance node in response to receiving the request that includes the public alphanumeric call number, wherein;

the line monitor sends line state and Automatic Number Identification (ANI) information to the compliance node; and

the connection with the compliance node is transparent to at least the second communication participant;

sending, from the compliance node to the PBX device, a non- public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant, wherein the compliance node stores a mapping from the public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant to the non-public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant;

after the connection with the compliance node is established, using the PBX device to include the first communication participant in a 3-way call between the first communication participant, the second communication participant, and the compliance node by conferencing in the first communication participant using the non-public alphanumeric call number received from the compliance node; and

providing to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants, wherein the compliance node performs compliance processing with respect to said at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants.

13. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer instructions for providing to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants include computer instructions for establishing a communication session in which the compliance node, the first communication participant, and the second communication participant are participants.

14. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer instructions for providing to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants include computer instructions for mirroring to the compliance node said at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants.

15. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer instructions for establishing a connection with the compliance node include computer instructions for establishing a new call to an external compliance system.

16. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein compliance processing includes one or more of:

monitoring, recording, archiving, indexing, retrieving, analyzing, controlling, blocking, and modifying communication information.

17. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the communication comprises one or more of the following:

voice data including conversation content and tone/character/accent/gender of voice, background call noise, data associated with devices of with call participants, data associated with communication service providers, data associated with routing devices, data associated with other devices associated with a compliance system, and any audible or binary data associated with the call.

18. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein compliance processing includes blocking or modifying the communication according to a call blocking policy based at least in part on one or more of the following:

a list of allowed call participants, a list of non-allowed call participants, a list of allowed call participant groupings, and a list of non-allowed call participant groups.

19. A computer program product as recited in claim 12 further comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a second request from the second communication participant to establish communication, wherein the second request includes the non-public alphanumeric call number;

in response to receiving the second request, determining whether the second communication participant is the compliance node;

establishing a connection to the first communication participant in the event it is determined the second communication participant is the compliance node; and

refraining from establishing a connection to the first communication participant in the event it is determined the second communication participant is not the compliance node.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein:

the request from the second communication participant to establish communication is received the PBX device; and

the computer instructions for automatically establishing the connection with the compliance node include computer instructions for using the PBX device to automatically establish the connection with the compliance node.

21. A communication system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

receive, at a line monitor between a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) device and an external telephone network, a request from a second communication participant to establish communication, wherein the request includes a public alphanumeric call number associated with a first communication participant;

use the line monitor to automatically establish a connection with a compliance node in response to receiving the request that includes the public alphanumeric call number, wherein;

the line monitor sends line state and Automatic Number Identification (ANI) information to the compliance node; and

the connection with the compliance node is transparent to at least the second communication participant;

send, from the compliance node to the PBX device, a non-public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant, wherein the compliance node stores a mapping from the public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant to the non-public alphanumeric call number associated with the first communication participant;

after the connection with the compliance node is established, use the PBX device to include the first communication participant in a 3-way call between the first communication participant, the second communication participant, and the compliance node by conferencing in the first communication participant using the non-public alphanumeric call number received from the compliance node; and

provide to the compliance node at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants, wherein the compliance node performs compliance processing with respect to said at least a portion of the communication between the first and second communication participants.

22. A communication system as recited in claim 21, wherein compliance processing includes storing data associated with the communication according to an archive policy on a storage medium.

23. A communication system as recited in claim 22, wherein the storage medium includes one or more of the following:

a hard drive, optical storage, a data tape, an audio tape, a backup server, a networked storage, a Storage Area Network, and a Network Attached Storage.

24. A communication system as recited in claim 22, wherein storing data further includes one or more of the following:

information conversion, audio digitalization, voice to text translation, encoding format conversion, data filtering, data compression, and data encryption.

25. A communication system as recited in claim 21, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions to:

receive a

second request from the second communication participant to establish communication, wherein the second request includes the non-public alphanumeric call number;

in response to receiving the second request, determine whether the second communication participant is the compliance node;

establish a connection to the first communication participant in the event it is determined the second communication participant is the compliance node; and

refrain from establishing a connection to the first communication participant in the event it is determined the second communication participant is not the compliance node.

26. A communication system as recited in claim 21, wherein:

the request from the second communication participant to establish communication is received the PBX device; and

the instructions provided by the memory for automatically establishing the connection with the compliance node include instructions for using the PBX device to automatically establish the connection with the compliance node.