WO2011009796A1

WO2011009796A1 - Transcoding audio of a recorded telephone call for distributing as data file

Info

Publication number: WO2011009796A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/060196
Authority: WO
Inventors: Silvester Antonius Maria Steffens; Martin Frissen
Original assignee: S.A.M. Steffens Beheer B.V.
Priority date: 2009-07-20
Filing date: 2010-07-15
Publication date: 2011-01-27

Abstract

A telephone call processing system comprises a call recorder connected to a telecommunications system. The call recorder records an audio part of a telephone call between two or more telephones. A transcoder is connected to the call recorder and transcodes the audio part into an electronic data file e.g. as a wav or mp3 file but also might be a text file from conversion of the speech into text. A gateway, connected to the transcoder, transmits the electronic data file via a data connection to a destination, for example as an email or as a web feed or via FTP. The destination is selected under control of an attribute of the telephone call, including the identity of the participants of the telephone conversation.

Description

TRANSCODING AUDIO OF A RECORDED TELEPHONE CALL FOR DISTRIBUTING AS DATA FILE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a telecommunication system, to copy processing means for use in such a system, and to a method of processing an audio part of a telephone call.

BACKGROUND ART

Live telephone call recording and monitoring are well known in various fields of application, see, e.g., US patent application publication 20060268847. For example, the routinely monitoring and recording of telephone calls is used in a business environment for, e.g., monitoring agents receiving telephone calls at a calling center or help desk, or for saving information and evidence in case of a dispute regarding transactions via the telephones of stock brokers at the floor trading posts of a stock exchange, or of financial security

transactions via the telephones of banking officers. As another example, telephone calls to emergency services and telephone calls from officials of emergency services (e.g., law enforcement, hospital, and fire department) are routinely monitored and recorded for purposes of evidentiary material, analysis, training, etc.

Typically, an organization as mentioned above (e.g., call center, stock exchange, bank, emergency service) has its own private branch exchange (PBX, also referred to as a private telephone exchange) to connect its lines to each other and to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), e.g., via a trunk connection. As all calls on the organization's lines go through the PBX, routine call recording is carried out at the organization's PBX.

In a passive call recording system, the call recorder equipment uses electronic circuitry for tapping into the copper wiring on a telephone network in order to capture the signaling and audio components associated with a telephone call for routing it to a call recorder. However, a typical telephone exchange (also referred to as a telephone switch) that is currently in use, is based on digital switching technology. In a digital telephone switch, the switching computer simply copies the digitized audio signal to a second line connected to the call recorder. In an active call recording system, the call recorder actively participates in the telephone call by means of a telephone conferencing bridge. A data processing system, referred to as a call logging manager, uses a software interface through which the calls on the network are monitored via a computer-telephone integration (CTI) interface. The call logging manager controls the recording by initiating the conference bridge to the call recorder equipment. After the call recorder has been bridged into the call, the audio part of the telephone call is accessible for recording.

As to CTI, this acronym refers to a known technology for coordinating telephone calls with data processing functions. For example, an incoming call can be identified by its calling number. The calling number is obtained, via ISDN or analog lines, through the Automatic Number Identification (ANI) feature, available on telephony intelligent network services. The calling number thus identified can be used to control a data processing system to consult a database in order to determine to what telephone line this call is to be forwarded, based on the calling number, time of the day, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventor has realized that conventional technologies for telephone call recording and monitoring lack some flexibility with regard to how calls are recorded and where the recorded calls are stored for retrieval. For example, in conventional telephone call recording technologies, the party, which intends to listen to the recorded call, has to access the telephone call recorder, either physically via the call recorder's user interface or remotely by means of logging-in.

The inventor now proposes an approach, which provides new business opportunities for telephone call and monitoring services on a telecommunications network.

More specifically, the invention relates to telephone call processing system comprising a call recorder connected to a telecommunications system. The call recorder is configured for recording an audio part of a telephone call between a first one and a second one of a plurality of telephones in the telecommunications system. The telephone call system also comprises a transcoder that is connected to the call recorder for transcoding the audio part to an electronic data file. The telephone call processing system also has a gateway connected to the transcoder and configured for transmitting the electronic data file via a data connection to a destination.

By means of transcoding the audio signal into an electronic data file, e.g., an audio file or a text file, the infrastructure of a data network, e.g., a wide-area network (WAN such as the Internet, or a local-area network (LAN), becomes available for selective distribution and storage of the electronic data files among multiple destinations on the data network.

One of the advantages, provided by the invention, is that the call recording in the telephone call processing system can simply be separated from managing the recorded calls, such as maintaining a back-up memory of recorded calls, or authorizing a person to access specific recorded calls.

Another advantage is that the electronic data files can be archived in a database under control of metadata, e.g., in the form of the information in the Call Detail Records (CDR). A CDR is a computer record that is automatically created by a telephone exchange, and contains the details of a call that passed through the telephone exchange. A typical CDR comprises: the telephone number of the party initiating the call; the telephone number answering the call; the date and time when the call started; the duration of the call; and whether the call was a voice call or an SMS. The CDR of a particular call is available only after the call has been terminated.

In an embodiment of the telephone call processing system in the invention, the gateway is configured for transmitting the electronic data file in at least one of the following transmission manners: in an email; as a web feed; via a File Transfer Protocol (FTP); and via an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). The electronic data files are stored at a server, and a registered or otherwise authorized person can retrieve the electronic data file via a data network, if and when convenient.

The electronic data file may comprise a text file, created by means of converting speech into text. Alternatively, the electronic data file comprises an audio file, whose audio file format is one of, for example, WAV, AIFF, MP3, Vorbis, Windows Media Audio, etc. It is also possible to have the electronic data file comprise a text file as well as an audio file, each being representative of the same telephone call.

In further embodiments, the telephone call processing system comprises means for determining an attribute of the telephone call. The telephone call processing system is configured for determining the destination and/or the transmission manner under control of the attribute.

The attribute comprises, e.g., at least one of the following: an identity of the first telephone; an identity of the second telephone; a time of the day at which the connection is made; a geographic location of at least the first telephone or the second telephone; a semantic aspect of the telephone call.

Examples of a semantic aspect of a telephone call are: the occurrence of one or more pre -determined words or expressions or a pre-determined combination of words or expressions. This approach requires that the audio part of the telephone call, or a

representative thereof, be scanned by a suitable information processing system using speech- recognition technologies. Speech-recognition technologies are well known and can be applied to, e.g., the audio signal itself in order to determine semantic aspects of the call. Alternatively, or in combination with scanning the audio signal, the audio signal can be converted into text, which is then automatically scanned in order to identify certain terms or words. Speech-to-text conversion technologies are also well known, as are word-processing technologies.

The telephone call processing system in the invention may be configured for enabling at least one of: a registered user of the first telephone or a further registered user of the second telephone, to program or re -program the destination and/or the selection rules for determining the destination under control of one or more of the attributes.

The (re-) programmability of the destination and/or the selection rules enables to provide a customized or personalized service. For example, a registered user of a particular telephone specifies in advance, for the telephone calls involving his/her telephone, the destination(s) and/or transmission manners, and or the rules applicable to the attribute(s) of the calls, in order to selectively route the electronic data files of these calls to the one or more desired destinations. That is, the relevant user may pre-specify the function that maps a specific telephone call on one or more pre-determined destinations under control of one or more attributes. The programming or re -programming thus configures the service, provided by the telephone call processing system of the invention, per individual end-user. This configuring is implemented, e.g., automatically through the registered user accessing a configuration server and specifying his/her preferences with regard to the routing of the electronic data file that represents the audio part of the telephone call. To this end, the configuration server provides, e.g., a web page with a menu of pre-specifϊed options from which the registered user can choose, or a form with fields wherein the registered user can fill- out the addresses of the pre-determined destinations and other criterions and conditions. Alternatively, the registered user contacts, e.g., via email or telephone, a human operator, who assists in configuring the routing of the data file to the desired destinations.

The invention can also be commercially exploited as a service. The invention therefore also relates to a method of processing a telephone call. The method comprises recording an audio part of a telephone call between a first one and a second one of a plurality of telephones in a telecommunications system; transcoding the recorded audio part to an electronic data file; and transmitting the electronic data file via a data connection to a destination.

In an embodiment of the method, the electronic data file is transmitted in at least one of the following transmission manners: in an email; as a web feed; via a File Transfer Protocol; and via an Integrated Services Digital Network.

A further embodiment of the method comprises determining an attribute of the telephone call; and determining the destination and/or he transmission manner under control of the attribute. Examples of attributes have been specified above.

The invention is described above as relating to a telephone call involving a first one and a second one of a plurality of telephones. It is clear that the invention is equally applicable if three or more telephones are involved in the call, e.g., in a teleconference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is explained in further detail, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig.l is a block diagram of a system in the invention.

DETAILED EMBODIMENTS

As specified above, the invention relates to a telephone call recording system, wherein a copy of the audio part of a telephone call, recorded at a call recorder is transcoded into an electronic data file and transmitted, via a data connection, to a pre-determined destination.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 in the invention. System 100 comprises a telecommunications system 102. Telecommunications system 102 comprises connection means 104 that is operative to selectively establish a connection between a first one and at least a second one of a plurality of telephones 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, ..., and l l6.

Connection means 104 can be implemented in a variety of manners. A first example of an implementation of connection means 104 is a telephone switch (or: telephone exchange). A second example of an implementation of connection means 102 relates to a VoIP scenario. Connection means 104 may then involve, e.g., a Call Manager server that controls the routing of the data packets of the digitized audio part, and/or a VoIP gateway that connects the VoIP network to a PSTN.

Telecommunications system 102 is connected to a call recorder (or: a call logger, a call capturing device or a call collecting device) 118, which is configured to receive a copy of the audio part of a telephone call going on on a connection established between two or more telephones, and to record the audio part. Call recorders are known in the art and are not discussed here in further detail. Call recorder 118 also receives, from telecommunications system 102, meta-information about the telephone call whose audio part is being recorded.

This meta-information includes, for example, an identity of a specific one (or specific ones) of telephones 106-116 receiving the telephone call; the identity of a particular one of telephones 106-116 initiating the telephone call; the time of the day at which the telephone call was initiated, the duration of the telephone call.

This meta-information may be obtained in a variety of manners, known in the art.

As a first example, assume that call recorder 118 is to record the audio part of the telephone calls that involve any of telephones 112-116. Then, call recorder 118 may have a respective input directly connected to a respective connection between, on the one hand, the respective one of telephones 112-116 and, on the other hand, connection means 104. The identity of the relevant one of telephones 112-116 is then automatically determined based on the relevant one of the inputs of call recorder 118. The relevant one of telephones 112-116 may also have received, via a telephone switch at connection means 102, the Caller- ID of the other one of telephones 106-116 involved in the call. Call recorder 118 then receives this Caller-ID via its direct connection to the relevant one of telephones 112-116.

As a second example, assume that connection means 104 comprises a telephone switch. Call recorder 118 is then configured to receive the CDRs from connection means 104 of the calls involving the particular ones of telephones 106-116, whose calls are to be recorded. Call recorder 118 receives the CDRs, for example, via a CTI interface.

As a third example, connection means 104 comprises a VoIP network. The Call Manager server and/or the VoIP gateway have information available about the relevant call, e.g., for billing purposes. This information is available, for example, from the associated CDR, or is received via a CTI coupling.

System 100 further comprises a transcoder 120 connected to call recorder 118.

Transcoder 120 is configured for converting the audio part of the telephone call, recorded at call recorder 118, into an electronic data file, e.g., an audio file, or a text file using speech-to- text conversion software. It is known in the art how to convert an audio signal into an electronic data file of the type specified. The electronic data file, representative of the audio part of the recorded call, is forwarded to a gateway 122, together with the meta-information associated with the recorded call.

Gateway 122 is configured to transmit electronic data files, e.g., as emails or through a

File Transfer Protocol (FTP), via a data network 124 to one or more destinations, e.g., a server 126, and a server 128. Servers 126 and 128 act as buffers for the electronic data files received from gateway 122.

Server 126 is accessible, e.g., via a data network (not shown), by end-user devices such as a network-enabled PC 130, a set-top box (STB) 132 and a smartphone 134. End-user devices 130-134 are configured to retrieve any, or only specific ones, of the electronic data files buffered at server 126, depending on the individual access rights of individual ones of end-user devices 130-134. Upon retrieval of the electronic data file, end-user devices 130-134 can access the electronic data file. If the electronic data file was an audio file, the end-user can initiate its being played out at his/her end-user device. If the electronic data file is a text file, the end-user can read the text rendered at a display monitor of his/her end-user device.

Similarly, server 128 is accessible, e.g., via a data network (not shown), by end-user devices 136 and 138, e.g., a first and a second data processing system. Each of data processing systems 136 and 138 can retrieve any, or only specific ones of the electronic data files buffered at server 128, depending on their individual access rights. Upon retrieval of an electronic data file, the relevant one of data processing systems 136 and 138 subjects the retrieved electronic data file to further operations, e.g., semantic analysis, archiving, consolidation with other electronic data files retrieved previously, etc.

Gateway 122 is also configured to transmit electronic data files via a data connection 142, e.g., an ISDN connection or cable, to a data processing system 140 with an interface suitable for the data transmission protocols of ISDN or cable. In order for gateway 122 to be able to determine the proper one of destinations 126, 128 and 140, gateway 124 comprises a rule base 130. Rule base 130 contains control information in the form of pre-determined selection rules. The selection rules control to which one(s) of destinations 126, 128 and 140 a specific electronic data file, received via call recorder 118 and transcoder 120, is to be transmitted, dependent on selection criterions.

Examples of such selection criterions include: the identity of any of telephones 106- 116 involved in the call being monitored via call recorder 118, the time of the day at which the monitored call is made that involves any of telephone 110-114.

Further selection criterions may include: a semantic aspect of the audio part of the monitored call involving any of telephone 106-116, as can be determined by means of speech recognition technology; a geographic location associated with the relevant one of telephones 106-116 involved in the monitored call, as can be derived from a telephone directory or, in case of a mobile telephone, from the locations of the base stations receiving the mobile telephone's signal; the person making or receiving the call as derived from scanning the person's voice profile in advance and comparing the voice profile in the monitored call with the prepared profile, etc., or any combination thereof. Telecommunications system 102, e.g., connection means 104, and/or call recorder 118, and/or transcoder 120, and/or gateway 122 may comprise data processing equipment (not shown) to execute the relevant tasks involved in determining the selection criterions. For example, the data processing equipment runs speech recognition software for enabling to determine a semantic aspect, e.g., a keyword, of the voice call recorded.

Accordingly, each specific call, recorded at call recorder 118, is associated with one or more specific selection criterions that are determined at telecommunications system 102, and/or call recorder 118, and/or transcoder 120, and/or gateway 122. Gateway 122 receives some or all of these criterions, e.g., from call recorder 118 via a connection 144, and/or from telecommunications system 102 via a connection 146, e.g., a CTI interface, and/or from transcoder 120 via a connection 148. Alternatively, or in combination therewith, gateway 122 creates these criterions. Gateway 122 then subjects the selection criterions received and/or obtained to the applicable rules selected from rule base 130 in order to determine to which one of destinations 126, 128 and 140 the electronic data file is to be transmitted. Rule base 130 may also include control information that specifies the delivery format wherein the electronic data file, associated with a specific recorded call, is to be transmitted to the selected destination, e.g., as an email; as a web feed; etc. The format may be explicitly specified in advance, based on, e.g., the identity of the telephone involved in the recorded call, or the format may depend on one or more other selection criterions mentioned above.

Likewise, rule base 130 may also include control information that determines the file format of the electronic data file, e.g., an audio file or a text file, to be transmitted to the selected one of destinations 126, 128 and 140.

Rule base 130 may also specify criterions under which gateway 122 transmits the electronic data file of a recorded call to more than one of destinations 126, 128 and 140. Rule base 130 may also specify criterions under which gateway 122 transmits the recorded call as a first electronic data file in an audio format, and a second electronic data file in a text format to its destination. Rule base 130 may also specify to transmit the electronic data file of a recorded call as an email and as a web feed to its destination.

Optionally, gateway 122 may use encryption when transmitting the transcoded audio part of a telephone call as an electronic data file, e.g., a text file or an audio file, to a predetermined destination. For example, rule base 130 may specify for a particular recorded call that the electronic data file be encrypted before it is transmitted to a specific one of destinations 126, 128 and 14O.The option of having the electronic data file encrypted for transmitting via, e.g., the Internet, may be relevant to some or to all end-users of the invention from a privacy point of view or from a business point of view.

In alternative scenarios, instead of having rule base 130 accommodated at gateway 122, rule base 130 may be accommodated at call recorder 118, at telecommunications system 102 or at transcoder 120, or rule base 130 may be distributed among any combination of gateway 122, call recorder 118, telecommunications system 102 and transcoder 120. In these alternative scenarios, gateway 122 is to receive the relevant information for determining the relevant one(s) of destinations 126, 128 and 140, and the relevant delivery mode, e.g., email or web feed, and relevant file format, e.g., audio or text.

The invention as explained above may be offered as a service to the public. The service implemented by the invention enables a subscriber to have an electronic data file, representative of the audio portion of a telephone call involving the subscriber's telephone call, send to a server (external server or home server) for archiving or retrieval at a later time.

The invention may also be used by authorities, e.g., emergency services such as the police, ambulance or fire department, which are uniformly accessible through dialing a predetermined telephone number for emergencies: "911" (in the US and Canada) or "112" (within the European Union and on GSM cellphones). The audio part of the telephone call to the emergency telephone number is recorded and converted into an electronic data file. The electronic data file is submitted via data network 124 to the server, e.g., server 128, of the local emergency department, as determined on the basis of the Caller-ID. The local server may then dispatch the electronic data file automatically to the relevant personnel, e.g., to the crew of one or more police cruisers that are within the area from which the call originated. Note that a call made from a mobile telephone such as a GSM can be associated with a geographical location through triangulation, involving determining the signal strengths at various base stations covering the geographic area from which the call is being placed.

In an embodiment of system 100, connection means 102 may comprise a PBX that serves to connect its lines, e.g., the lines to telephones 112-116, to each other and to a PSTN. The PBX, together with components 112-148 of system 100, forms a communication infrastructure of an organization, e.g., an enterprise or an emergence service. Such

infrastructure is especially relevant to a business environment, wherein telephone calls are being routinely monitored and recorded. For example, call monitoring and recording is used in order to monitor agents receiving telephone calls at a calling center or help desk, or in order to save information and evidence in case of a dispute regarding transactions via the telephones of stock brokers at the floor trading posts of a stock exchange, or of financial security

transactions via the telephones of banking officers. In addition to the recorded audio part of the telephone call, system 100 may also be configured to automatically record, as one or more screen shots, the visual information on the screen of a display monitor in front of the agent whose telephone is participating in the telephone call being recorded. This visual information is encoded in another electronic data file or consolidated with the electronic data file of the transcoded audio part of the telephone call, and transmitted to a pre -determined destination, e.g., server 128, for being retrieved and further processed by data processing system 138. As another example, telephone calls to emergency services and telephone calls from officials of emergency services (e.g., law enforcement, hospital, and fire department) are routinely monitored and recorded for purposes of evidentiary material, analysis, training, etc.

Some scenarios or examples above have been discussed with regard to receiving information, relating to one or more attributes of a telephone call, via a CTI coupling or CTI interface. Instead of a genuine CTI coupling, a tap can be used to the CDR output of a telephone exchange, e.g., a serial port of the CDR printer or a TCP/IP connection to the source of the CDR information.

Accordingly, the invention provides a service wherein the audio part of a telephone call is transcoded to an electronic data file. The electronic data file, thus created, is sent to a destination on a data network. The destination may be the same, fixed destination for all telephone calls monitored, or may be different destinations, depending on the details of the calls, as provided by the associated CDRs and as derivable through, e.g., speech recognition technology. The electronic file may be sent as, e.g., an email or as an attachment to an email. As a result, the party receiving the email can open it up and access the transcoded call if and when needed.

Claims

1. A telephone call processing system comprising:

a call recorder (118) connected to a telecommunications system (102) and configured for recording an audio part of a telephone call between a first one and a second one of a plurality of telephones (106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116) in the telecommunications system; a transcoder (120) connected to the call recorder for transcoding the audio part to an electronic data file;

a gateway (122) connected to the transcoder and configured for transmitting the electronic data file via a data connection (124; 146) to a destination (126; 128; 140).

2. The telephone call processing system of claim 1 , wherein the gateway is configured for transmitting the electronic data file in at least one of the following transmission manners: in an email; as a web feed; via a File Transfer Protocol; and via an Integrated Services Digital Network.

3. The telephone call processing system of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the telephone call processing system comprises means for determining an attribute of the telephone call; and

the telephone call processing system is configured for determining the destination under control of the attribute.

4. The telephone call processing system of claim 2 or 3, wherein:

the telephone call processing system is configured for determining the transmission manner under control of the attribute.

5. The telephone call processing system of claim 2, wherein the attribute comprises at least one of the following:

an identity of the first telephone; an identity of the second telephone;

a time of the day at which the connection is made;

a geographic location of at least the first telephone or the second telephone;

a semantic aspect of the telephone call;

6. A method of processing a telephone call, the method comprising:

recording an audio part of a telephone call between a first one and a second one of a plurality of telephones (106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116) in a telecommunications system; transcoding the recorded audio part to an electronic data file; and

transmitting the electronic data file via a data connection (124; 146) to a destination

(126; 128; 140).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the electronic data file is transmitted in at least one of the following transmission manners: in an email; as a web feed; via a File Transfer Protocol; and via an Integrated Services Digital Network.

8. The method of claim 6 or 7, comprising:

determining an attribute of the telephone call; and

determining the destination under control of the attribute.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, comprising:

determining an attribute of the telephone call; and

determining the transmission manner under control of the attribute.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the attribute comprises at least one of the following: an identity of the first telephone;

an identity of the second telephone;

a time of the day at which the connection is made;

a geographic location of at least the first telephone or the second telephone; and a semantic aspect of the telephone call.