Managing Recordings of Communications Sessions

• US 20080298253A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Costello, John, Murray, David, Walker, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/755,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20080298253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• 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

Abstract

A device for recording the content of live communications sessions allocates each session with a unique identifier which is also communicated to a server, exchange, switch or endpoint having control of that session. A log of events occurring in the session is updated with the unique identifier of the recorded content, and following the session, the log of events is communicated to the recording device, indexed under the unique identifier, and stored with the recorded content of the session itself

Claims

1. A method of recording a live communications session, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the communications session for predefined events relating to the routing and progress of said session;

(b) maintaining an events data record of the occurrence of said events;

(c) recording the content of said session with a content recording device;

(d) upon a predetermined termination event, forwarding said events data record to the content recording device; and

(e) storing said events data record at said content recording device with an identification of the recorded session content to which the events data record relates.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of steps (a), (b) and (d) are carried out by an item of equipment having control of the communications session.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said communications session is a voice or video call and said item of equipment is an exchange controlling the routing of said call to an endpoint connected to said exchange.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said communications session is a voice or video call and said item of equipment is an endpoint participating in said call.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communications session involves a contact center and wherein said steps (a) to (e) are carried out in items of equipment associated with the contact center.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps assigning to said recorded content a unique identifier, and adding said unique identifier to said events data record.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined termination event is the termination of said communications session.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined termination event is the receipt of a signal to forward said events data record.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communications session continues following said predetermined termination event, and wherein steps (a) to (e) are repeated one or more times while the session remains in progress.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined termination event is the transfer of the session from a first controlling apparatus to a second controlling apparatus, and wherein, following said transfer, the second controlling apparatus carries out steps (a), (b) and (d).

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said content recording device continues to record the content of the session as a single session before and after the transfer.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said content recording device records the content of the transferred session as a new record after the transfer.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the recorded content relating to the session before and after the transfer, and the data events records from the first and second controlling apparatuses, are all stored in the content recording device such that they are identified as relating to a single session.

14. A computer program product comprising instructions which when executed in a computerized communications system participating in a live communications session, are effective to cause said system to:

(a) monitor the communications session for predefined events relating to the routing and progress of said session;

(b) maintain an events data record of the occurrence of said events;

(c) record the content of said session with a content recording device;

(d) upon a predetermined termination event, forward said events data record to the content recording device; and

(e) store said events data record at said content recording device with an identification of the recorded session content to which the events data record relates.

15. A communications system for participating in a live communications session comprising:

(a) a content recording device for recording the content of said session;

(b) a communications session events monitor for monitoring the communications session for predefined events relating to the routing and progress of said session;

(c) an events data record storage device maintaining an events data record of the occurrence of said events;

(d) a data transfer function associated with said events data record storage device for forwarding said events data record to the content recording device upon a predetermined termination event; and

(e) a data management function associated with said content recording device for storing said events data record at said content recording device with an identification of the recorded session content to which the events data record relates.

16. A communications system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said communications session events monitor monitors the events occurring at a switch of a contact center with which said system is associated and wherein said switch controls said communications session.

17. A method of recording a live communications session, comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining an events data record of switching events relating to said session in an item of equipment which monitors the session;

(b) recording the content of said session in a content recording device;

(c) assigning to the recorded content in said content recording device a unique identifier of said recorded content;

(d) communicating said unique identifier from said content recording device to said item of equipment;

(e) adding said unique identifier to said events data record to thereby provide a direct indexing between the events data record relating to said session and the recorded content of said session.

18. A computer program product comprising instructions which when executed in a computerized communications system participating in a live communications session, are effective to cause said system to:

(a) maintain an events data record of switching events relating to said session in an item of equipment which monitors the session;

(b) record the content of said session in a content recording device;

(c) assign to the recorded content in said content recording device a unique identifier of said recorded content;

(d) communicate said unique identifier from said content recording device to said item of equipment;

(e) add said unique identifier to said events data record to thereby provide a direct indexing between the events data record relating to said session and the recorded content of said session.

19. A communications system for participating in a live communications session, comprising:

(a) an events data recorder for recording switching events relating to said session in an item of equipment which monitors the session;

(b) a content recording device for recording the content of said session;

(c) an identifier assignment function for assigning to the recorded content in said content recording device a unique identifier of said recorded content;

(d) a communications link for communicating said unique identifier from said content recording device to said item of equipment;

(e) a content manager associated with said events data recorder for adding said unique identifier to said events data record to thereby provide a direct indexing between the events data record relating to said session and the recorded content of said session.

20. A method of recording a live communications session comprising the steps of:

(a) allocating to said communications session an identifier;

(b) recording the content of the session with an indication of said identifier;

(c) communicating said identifier to an item of equipment logging events occurring in said session;

(d) receiving from said item of equipment a data record of events occurring in said session; and

(e) storing said data record together with said recorded session content with an indication of said identifier.

21. A computer program product comprising instructions which when executed in a computerized communications system participating in a live communications session, are effective to cause said system to:

(a) allocate to said communications session an identifier;

(b) record the content of the session with an indication of said identifier;

(c) communicate said identifier to an item of equipment logging events occurring in said session;

(d) receive from said item of equipment a data record of events occurring in said session; and

(e) store said data record together with said recorded session content with an indication of said identifier.

22. A communications system for participating in a live communications session, comprising:

(a) an identifier assignment function for assigning a session identifier to said communications session;

(b) a content recording device for recording the content of the session with an indication of said identifier;

(c) an item of equipment for logging events occurring in said session and creating a data record of said events with an indication of said identifier;

(d) a content manager for receiving from said item of equipment a data record of events occurring in said session and associating the data record with the recorded session content; and

(e) a data store for storing said data record together with said recorded session content with an indication of said identifier.