Systems and methods for recording audio

• US 7,852,994 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heap, Richard Laurence, Blair, Christopher D., Barnes, Robert John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/395,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/401, 379 671- 87, 379 8801- 8828, 379/93.01, 379/100.05, 379/101.01, 379133-134, 379/215.01, 381/104, 386/95, 463/40, 700/94, 455/232.1, 455/411, 455/416, 455/456.1, 709/220
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording audio are provided. In this regard, an representative method comprises: receiving audio information corresponding to an audio communication; receiving parameter information corresponding to a manner in which the audio communication is to be provided to a user in audible form; providing the audio information and the parameter information in the form of Internet Protocol (IP) packets; and recording the audio information and the parameter information provided by the IP packets.

Claims

1. A method for recording audio, comprising:

receiving audio information corresponding to an audio communication at a communication tap;

receiving parameter information corresponding to a manner in which the audio communication is to be provided to a user in audible form, the parameter information being information about the audio communication as it was received by the communication tap;

providing, by the communication tap, the audio information and the parameter information in the form of Internet Protocol (IP) packets; and

recording the audio information and the parameter information provided by the IP packets at a recorder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to providing the audio information and the parameter information in the form of IP packets, the audio information is compressed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the audio information corresponds to a single channel of audio; and

prior to providing the audio information and the parameter information in the form of IP packets, the audio information is mixed with other audio information of another channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recording comprises:

recording the audio information a fewer number of times than that of a number of users receiving the audio information in audible form.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, in recording the audio information, if the audio information is being received by more than two users, the audio information is recorded no more than two times.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, in recording the audio information, the parameter information comprises information identifying which of the users were receiving the audio information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recording comprises:

providing the audio information and the parameter information to each of a first recorder and a second recorder.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein recording further comprises:

initiating storing of the audio information and the parameter information in long-term storage of the first recorder;

buffering the audio information and the parameter information in the second recorder; and

removing the audio information and the parameter information from the buffer of the second recorder responsive to the audio information and the parameter information being stored in the long-term storage of the first recorder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving audio information comprises:

obtaining the audio information from a communication device used to provide the audio information to a user in audible form.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving parameter information comprises:

obtaining the parameter information from a communication device used to provide the audio information to a user in audible form.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the parameter information to determine volume settings of a communication device used to provide the audio information to the user in audible form; and

replaying the recorded audio information in a manner corresponding to the volume settings.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter information comprises connection information corresponding to communication devices to which the audio information is being provided to users in audible form.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication devices comprise at least one of handsets, loud speakers and hands-free units.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, in recording the audio information and the parameter information, a determination regarding which of the audio information and the parameter information is to be recorded is determined in real-time.

15. A system for recording audio comprising:

a communication tap operative to receive audio information corresponding to an audio communication and to receive parameter information corresponding to a manner in which the audio communication is to be provided to a user in audible form, the communication tap being further operative to provide the audio information and the parameter information in the form of Internet Protocol (IP) packets,

wherein the parameter information being information about the audio communication as it was received by the communication tap.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for recording the audio information and the parameter information provided by the IP packets.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a recording system operative to record the audio information and the parameter information provided by the IP packets, the recording system comprising a first long-term storage device operative to store the audio information and the parameter information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the recording system is further operative to determine, in real-time, which of the audio information and the parameter information is to be recorded.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the recording system comprises a first recorder and a second recorder, the first recorder having the first long-term storage device, the second recorder having a buffer and a second long-term storage device;

the first recorder is operative to initiate storing of the audio information and the parameter information in the first long-term storage device;

the second recorder is operative to buffer the audio information and the parameter information in the buffer at least until being notified that the audio information and the parameter information have been stored in the first long-term storage device of the first recorder.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second recorder is operative to store the audio information and the parameter information in the second long-term storage device.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a communication device operative to provide the parameter information associated therewith for storage with the audio information.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving audio information corresponding to an audio communication;

receiving parameter information corresponding to a manner in which the audio communication is to be provided to a user in audible form, the parameter information comprising information corresponding to an identification of a communication device used to provide the audio communication to the user in audible form and an indication of volume control settings of the communication device at a time the audio communication was being provided to the user in audible form, the parameter information being information about the audio communication as it was received by the communication tap; and

providing the audio information and the parameter information in the form of Internet Protocol (IP) packets.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises determining, in real-time, which of the audio information and the parameter information is to be recorded.