WO2002035307A2

WO2002035307A2 - Voice recording method and means

Info

Publication number: WO2002035307A2
Application number: PCT/FI2001/000920
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mikko Väänänen
Original assignee: Vaeaenaenen Mikko
Priority date: 2000-10-24
Filing date: 2001-10-23
Publication date: 2002-05-02
Also published as: WO2002035307A3; FI20002329A; FI20002329A0; AU2002210613A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a packet voice recording method and means. In particular the invention relates to a method for a packet switched voice recording with which telephone calls can be recorded and stored in a logical and consistent way. A packet switched voice recording method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet is characterised by the steps of, beginning telephone conversation (100), recording conversation to a data file in packet switched format (110), signing said data file with identifying information (120), stopping telephone conversation (120), stopping recording and closing data file (140). Recordings may be done on a server or on the subscriber terminal itself. Packet switched compatibility is thus ensured.

Description

Voice Recording Method and Means

The invention relates to a packet switched voice recording method and means. In particular the invention relates to a method for a packet switched voice recording with which telephone calls can be recorded and stored in a logical and consistent way.

Prior art applications of recording telephone conversations are network oriented. The prior art is best illustrated in patent publications JP07283873A2, "Conversation Recording Service Method in Mobile Communication" and US05995824, "Cellular Phone Voice Recorder." In both of these applications the recording of the voice signal is done by the network by a circuit switched connection, and recorded to a voice storage device.

The prior art has several disadvantages. A circuit switched connection is required for the recording. The network must be compatible with the recording signal of the mobile station. The mobile station must be compatible to implement the recording. Both of these disadvantages result to the prior art being incompatible with existing and future packet switched communication methods and means.

The purpose of the invention is to remove the aforementioned disadvantages. The purpose of the invention is to introduce a method and means with which telephone conversations may be recorded in packet switched format. Recordings may be done on a server or on the subscriber terminal itself. Packet switched compatibility is thus ensured. In addition, a semipacket switched method and arrangement is introduced, which utilizes a smartcard or a SIM to establish the primary recording connection.

Most or all of the aforementioned advantages of the invention are preferably implemented with a special exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which a telephone conversation is began from a subscriber terminal. The subscriber terminal may be a mobile station or a computer equipped with either a circuit switched or a packet switched telephony connection or both. A telephone conversation is begun and a packet switched recorder on the terminal device, like an MP3- or WAV-player will begin recording the phone call to a data file. The terminal device will name this file on the basis of all or some of the following information: caller, recipient, time, date, duration, or other relevant information obtainable from the settings of the subscriber terminal or from the user himself. The data file will subsequently be stored to a directory on the memory/storage space of the subscriber terminal. Alternatively, the data file may be automatically transmitted to a predefined address on the Internet or in the telephony network. In some cases the data file may be stored both on the subscriber terminal and be also transmitted to a predefined address on the Internet or in the telephony network.

A packet switched voice recording method in accordance with the invention, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet is characterised by the steps of, begin telephone conversation, - begin recording conversation to a data file in packet switched format, sign said data file with identifying information, stop telephone conversation, stop recording and close data file.

A packet switched voice recording method in accordance with the invention, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet is characterised by the steps of, begin telephone conversation, begin recording conversation to a data file in packet switched format, - sign said data file with identifying information, stop telephone conversation, stop recording and close data file, open Internet connection, transmit data file to a predefined address on the Internet, - file data file to a database on the basis of the identifying information at the server associated with the said address. A packet switched voice recording method in accordance with the invention, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet is characterised by the steps of, begin telephone conversation, - open communications connection to a server, begin recording telephone conversation in packet switched format to a data file on the server, - sign said data file with identifying information, stop telephone conversation, - stop recording and close data file.

A packet switched voice recording means in accordance with the invention, comprising at least one audio/video devices, audio/video drivers and/or audio/video player, storage means, packet switched connection and/or telephony network connection, is further characterised in that the audio/video player is arranged to record conversations and/or conferences conducted through the telephony network and/or packet switched connection with at least one third party to data files in packet switched format.

The invention further relates to a voice recording method, comprising the telephony network, at least one mobile station, at least one server and at least one SIM, and is characterised in that, the said SIM comprises a computer program that establishes voice group call service between the caller at least one recipient and at least one server in order to record the conversation to the server.

The invention further relates to a voice recording method, comprising the telephony network, at least one mobile station, at least one server and at least one SIM, and is characterised in that, -the said SIM comprises a computer program that establishes a phone call the server, -the SIM relays at least one recipient phone number to the server,

-the server establishes further connections between the caller and at least one recipient, -the server listens in on at least one connection and records the conversation.

In the following the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to exemplary embodiments in accordance with the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 presents a basic method in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram,

Figure 2 presents a more developed method in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram,

Figure 3 presents a more developed method in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram,

Figure 4 presents a more developed bi-directional method in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram,

Figure 5 presents a more developed method restricted to the telephony network in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram,

Figure 6 presents a server oriented method in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram,

Figure 7 presents a subscriber terminal in accordance with the inventive method.

Some preferable embodiments may also be described in the dependent claims.

In phase 100 of the figure 1 a telephone conversation is begun. The call is typically placed from a mobile station or a computer with audio devices. In some preferable embodiments the subscriber terminal is a PC computer, Apple Macintosh computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station. Typically in some preferable embodiments, the subscriber terminal is a device using either the Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Windows CE, Windows Pocket PC, GEOS, Palm OS or the Epoc operating system. In many preferable embodiments several default facilities of the operating system are used to realise the inventive method. In some preferable embodiments, the telephone conversation is conducted either through a packet switched network, like an IP (Internet Protocol)- network or through the normal telephony network. The telephone conversation may be a video conference, a simple voice call, or both in some preferable embodiments.

In phase 110 the recording of the conversation is begun. The audio/video conversation is recorded in packet switched format. In some preferable embodiments, the recording is initiated from the subscriber terminal by pressing a button, a combination of buttons, once or several times. The recording can also be initiated before the conversation is begun in some preferable embodiments. The recording is done typically by a digital media player, like an MP3- player and/or WAV- (Windows Wave)- player. The digital media player records the conversation, or parts of it, to a data file. In one preferable embodiment, where the subscriber terminal runs the Epoc operating system, Epoc Voice Notes is used to record the telephone conversation. In one preferable embodiment where the subscriber terminal runs the MS Windows or NT, Windows Sound Recorded is used to record the telephone conversation. In some preferable embodiments the user may stop the recording during the telephone conversation. In some preferable embodiments it is also possible to restart the recording, in which case the recording may be continued to the original data file, or a new data file may be allocated for the new recording, or in some embodiments both things are done.

In phase 120 the data file is named or signed with identifying information related to the conversation. In some preferable embodiments, the user may name the data file if he so chooses. In some preferable embodiments it is also possible to sign and/or name the data file with the time of the conversation, date of the conversation, the telephone number or IP-address of the third party and/or multiparty, the name of the caller, the telephone number of the caller or the subscriber terminal, duration of the conversation, the name of the third party and/or third multiparty. In some preferable embodiments it is possible to associate the digital ID of the caller or the third party with the data file. The third party may transmit his digital ID to the caller for inclusion to the data file in some preferable embodiments. Different identifying information may bear different priority in some preferable embodiments. In some preferable embodiments it is possible to group and file data files to directories on the basis of the identifying information. In some preferable embodiments the data files are organized to an order of priority within a directory on the basis of, e.g. alphabetical order, time and date, duration or other identifying information or data file properties.

In phase 130 the telephone conversation is terminated. After this, the recording is stopped and the data file is closed in phase 140. In some preferable embodiments this data file may be reopened, and telephone conversations may be added to the data file. In one exemplary embodiment all the conversations with a certain third party are recorded to the same data file, for example in chronological order, or in some other order.

In many preferable embodiments the recording can be started and stopped before, during or after a call. For example, the recording of some short patches of dictation, like driving instructions or the like is a favourable embodiment.

In many preferable embodiments the sequence of the steps 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 is permuted in accordance with the invention.

In figure 2 the phases 200, 210, 220, 230 and 240 are essentially corresponding to the phases 100, 1 10, 120, 130 and 140 of method 10. After the data file has been recorded an Internet connection is opened from the subscriber terminal. A copy of the data file is transmitted to a predefined address on the Internet in phase 260. In some preferable embodiments FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or email is used to transmit/upload the data file to a predefined address on the Internet. In one exemplary embodiment, data files are transmitted to a data storage server at the corporate headquarters automatically when the employees make and record calls from their subscriber terminals. In phase 260 the data files have reached the predefined address on the Internet. In phase 270 the data files are filed to a database at the server or at some further remote location on the basis of the identifying information.

In a certain inventive embodiment new recordings are queried by FTP, PING, SMS or other means. If new recordings are found, these recordings are downloaded from the subscriber terminal to the server automatically. To do this, an Internet connection can be set up by a method described in my patent application FI2000785, in some preferable embodiments.

In many preferable embodiments the sequence of the steps 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270 is permuted in accordance with the invention.

In figure 3 the database containing the recording is realised on the subscriber terminal. This is an advantageous embodiment of the invention when the subscriber terminal has enough storage space. In phase 300 a telephone conversation is begun and recording to a data file is begun in phase 310. The data file is associated with identifying information, like a name and/or file properties in phase 320. Telephone conversation is stopped in phase 330, and the recording is stopped and the data file is closed in phase 340. In phase 350 of the method the data file is filed to a database on the basis of the identifying information. The database in accordance with the invention is typically on the hard drive, CD-ROM and/or disk drive of the subscriber terminal or on some other storage means associated with the subscriber terminal.

In many preferable embodiments the sequence of the steps 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350 is permuted in accordance with the invention.

In figure 4 the telephone conversation is began in phase 400. Permission for recording the telephone conversation is requested in phase 410. This may be done by an exchange of words between the caller and the third party. However, in one preferable embodiment permission for recording the telephone call is asked automatically by an SMS-, FTP-, DTMF-, Ping or Caller ID signal, or a like signal. For example in one preferable embodiment it is stated in the Caller ID that the phone call about to be answered by the third party will be recorded. This will give an indication to the third party to record the conversation also to his records, or to ask for a copy of the conversation later. If permission is granted similar phases 420, 430, 440, 450, 460 to the phases 310, 320, 330, 340, 350 of method 30 will follow. If permission is not granted the conversation may be terminated or continued unrecorded. Any chronological permutation of the phases 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460 is in accordance with the invention.

Figure 5 presents a method where the recordings are stored to a server in the telephony network. In phase 500 telephone conversation is begun. Conversation recording is begun in phase 510. The data file of the recording is associated with identifying information in phase 520. The telephone conversation is terminated in phase 530. In phase 540 the conversation has been recorded to the data file. In phase 550 a telephony connection is established to a network server. In one preferable embodiment this is a data connection abiding to the UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA standards. In phase 560 the data file is transmitted to the network server. In one preferable embodiment, the network server is associated with the base stations of mobile subscriber terminals. In phase 561 the data file is filed to a database on the network server on the basis of the identifying information. The data file may later be retrieved from the server in phase 570.

In some preferable embodiments the data files may be accessed and listened to by telephone by calling a certain number, like the number of the answering machine or the number of the voicemail box.

In many preferable embodiments the sequence of the steps 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 561, 570 is permuted in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 presents a method where the recording takes place at the server. In phase 600 a telephone conversation is begun. A communications connection is opened to a server in phase 610. The server may be either in the telephony network or on the Internet. In one preferable embodiment, where the subscriber terminal runs the Epoc operating system, the server is realised with or in association with the Serial-Comms server, Telephony server, Sockets server and/or the Comms database server. In phase 620 begin recording the telephone conversation in packet switched format to a data file. In phase 630 the data file is signed with identifying information. The identifying information may be associated with the filename, directory or directory name, or with the properties of the file or directory. In phase 640 the telephone conversation is ended. Recording is stopped and the data file is closed in phase 650. In this method no copies of the recording are formed to the subscriber terminal itself.

With all of the embodiments it is also possible to convert the recordings to text by speech recognition software and devices. The recording may thus further be stored as text and distributed with emails, text files, and SMS messages in accordance with the invention.

Figure 7 presents a certain preferable embodiment of the subscriber terminal 700 in accordance with the invention. In some preferable embodiments the subscriber terminal is a PC computer, Apple Macintosh computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station. Typically in some preferable embodiments, the subscriber terminal is a device using either the Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Windows CE, Windows Pocket PC, GEOS, Palm OS or the Epoc operating system. The subscriber terminal 700 may form a real time, audio and/or video communications connection to a third party by either using a telephony network connection 710, which is typically circuit switched in some embodiments, but not by necessity, or by using a packet switched connection, which is typically an IP -network connection 720.

Audio and/or video drivers 740 usually control the use of the connections 710, 720 in some preferable embodiments. The audio/video player 730, which typically records the telephone conversation is typically an MP3- player like RealPlayer or Sonique or WAV- player like Windows Sound Recorder or Epoc Voice Notes or the like. In one preferable embodiment the player 730 is arranged to record both audio and video. The file format of the recorded data file is typically MP3-, WAV- or RealSystem Secure format.

The inventive subscriber terminal 700 may be arranged to store the recorded data files to the storage means 760, which is typically a hard drive, CD-ROM, a disk drive, or any other electromagnetic or optic storage means. The recorded data files are typically grouped on the storage means on the basis of their identifying information. In some preferable embodiments there is a default directory "My Phone Calls" or the like, to which the recorded data files are grouped and named on the basis of the time of the conversation, date of the conversation, the telephone number or IP-address of the third party and/or multiparty, the name of the caller, the telephone number of the caller or the subscriber terminal, duration of the conversation, the name of the third party and/or third multiparty. In some preferable embodiments, some of the identifying information is extracted from the subscriber terminal itself. For example, the time and duration may be extracted from the system clock, like the date as well. The names of third parties or multiparties may be extracted from the default electronic phone book or contact manager of the subscriber terminal, or the operating system of the said subscriber terminal. Telephone numbers and IP-addresses may be obtained from the network, the call manager software of the operating system or the default contact manager. The default file manager can be used to sort the data files to their respective directories in some embodiments. The file manager may also be used when a recording is continued to an existing data file in a certain embodiment of the invention.

In a certain advantageous embodiment the user does not enter any filenames to the recorded data files. All recording, naming and grouping to directories is done by one press of a button or a combination of buttons. The subscriber terminal may have a separate REC button to do this, or it may simply have a shortcut key for this function which can be entered from the keypad or keyboard of the subscriber terminal 700. The inventive method may also be operated by voice recognition in the inventive subscriber terminal under study. In one preferable embodiment the user may enter a filename for the recording. In some preferable embodiments the recorded data files are transmitted to a network server 770, or a predefined address on the Internet 780 automatically. Either connection 710, 720 or both can be used to transmit the data file. In some preferable embodiments the recorded data files are deleted from the storage means after they have been successfully transmitted.

In some preferable embodiments the storage means 760 is realised on a network server 770 or on the Internet 780 and the audio/video player streams the data file in packet switched format to the network server 770 and/or Internet address 780. The said packet stream is then stored in the aforementioned destinations in some preferable embodiments.

In one preferable embodiment of the invention the data BUS and/or the telephony BUS of the subscriber terminal is realised so that the audio/video player 730 and/or the audio video drivers 740 are arranged to be connected to both the audio/video devices of the packet switched connection 720 and/or the telephony network connection 710.

h one semipacket switched voice recording method in accordance with the invention, a primary connection can be either packet switched or circuit switched. This embodiment of the invention is especially preferable in SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) equipped GSM, GPRS, CDMA, UMTS or the like mobile stations. In this embodiment, the SIM Application Toolkit (SAT) is used to realize a program on the SIM card that intercepts a dialed phone number. When the user wants the call to be recorded, he either presses a dedicated key, or gives a dedicated indication that recording is desired. Alternatively, a separate menu, for example "Secure Phone Call", or "Recorded Phone Call" may be chosen from the mobile station menu. Once recording is indicated, the SAT establishes a connection to a server that starts listening on the line and establishes a forward connection to the recipient. In practice this is often done by the SAT and SIM establishing a phone call to the server and relaying the recipient phone number to the server by DTMF, SMS, USSD or the like signaling. The server then keeps the connection live, but dials the recipient number. The server may show the caller's caller ID or "Recorded Call" or the like to the recipient, in order to show that the call about to be negaged in will be recorded. In some alternative embodiments the SAT and SIM establish VGCS (Voice Group Call Service) call, where one additional party to the caller and the recipient is the server that records the conversation. In some embodiments the server files the recorded conversations to data files and associates many or some attributes to the said files, such as time, date, phone numbers of parties etc. The server may be a part of a voicemail system, or it may forward the files to voicemail system, VPN, corporate voicemail system, Internet, database or the like.

The invention has been explained above with reference to the aforementioned embodiments and several commercial and industrial advantages have been demonstrated. The method in accordance with the invention can be realised without necessarily intervening with the telephony network infrastructure. Recordings can be done on the subscriber terminal, and data files of packet switched format result to guarantee further compatibility.

The invention has been explained above with reference to the aforementioned embodiments. However, it is clear that the invention is not only restricted to these embodiments, but comprises all possible embodiments within the spirit and scope of the inventive thought and the following patent claims.

Claims

Patent claims

1. A packet switched voice recording method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet, characterised by the steps of,

- begin telephone conversation ( 100),

- begin recording conversation to a data file in packet switched format (1 10), sign said data file with identifying information (120),

- stop telephone conversation (130), - stop recording and close data file (140).

2. A packet switched voice recording method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet, characterised by the steps of,

- begin telephone conversation (200), - begin recording conversation to a data file in packet switched format (210),

- sign said data file with identifying information (220), stop telephone conversation (230),

- stop recording and close data file (240),

- open Internet connection (250), - transmit data file to a predefined address on the Internet (260),

- file data file to a database on the basis of the identifying information at the server associated with the said address (270).

3. A packet switched voice recording method, comprising at least one subscriber terminal and the telephony network and/or the Internet, characterised by the steps of,

- begin telephone conversation (600),

- open communications connection to a server (610),

- begin recording telephone conversation in packet switched format to a data file on the server (620), - sign said data file with identifying information (630),

- stop telephone conversation (640),

- stop recording and close data file (650).

4. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, at least one of the said subscriber terminals is a PC computer, Apple Macintosh computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and/or a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station.

5. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, at least one of the said subscriber terminals comprises a Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Windows CE, OS/2, Windows Pocket PC, GEOS, Palm OS and/or Epoc operating system and/or a MP3- player and/or a WAV- player.

6. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, the identifying information comprises the time of the conversation, date of the conversation, the telephone number or IP-address of the third party and/or multiparty, the name of the caller, the telephone number of the caller or the subscriber terminal, duration of the conversation and/or the name of the third party and/or third multiparty.

7. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, the said data file is stored to a hard drive, CD-ROM and/or a disk drive on at least one subscriber terminal and/or at least one network server on the Internet and/or in the telephony network.

8. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, identifying information may be extracted from the operating system, from the operating system settings, from other applications on the subscriber terminal, from the Internet and/or the telephony network and/or from the user.

9. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, other software applications and/or facilities provided by the operating system of the subscriber terminal or other means are used to group the recorded data files to directories, and to orders of priority within the directories.

10. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, the said methods or any part of them is executed with a shortcut key or at least one press of a button from the said subscriber terminal during, before or after a conversation.

1 1. A method as claimed in claims 1 , 2 and/or 3, characterised in that, the temporal or other order of the phases 100, 1 10, 120, 130, 140, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 600, 610, 620, 630, 640 and/or 650 may be permuted.

12. A packet switched voice recording means, comprising at least one audio/video devices (750), audio/video drivers (740) and/or audio/video player (730), storage means (760), packet switched connection (710) and/or telephony network connection (720), characterised in that, the audio/video player (730) is arranged to record conversations and/or conferences conducted through the telephony connection (720) and/or packet switched connection (710) with at least one third party to data files in packet switched format.

13. A packet switched voice recording means as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that, it is realised as a PC computer, Apple Macintosh computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and/or a UMTS-, GSM-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-, and/or WCDMA mobile station.

14. A packet switched voice recording means as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that, the said subscriber terminals comprises a Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Windows CE, OS/2, Windows Pocket PC, GEOS, Palm OS and/or Epoc operating system and/or a MP3- player and/or a WAV- player.

15. A packet switched voice recording means as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that, recording is started or halted with a shortcut key or at least one press of a button from the said subscriber terminal during, before or after a conversation.

16. A packet switched voice recording means as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that, the recording is done on a network server (770) and/or a predefined address on the Internet (780) and/or is later transmitted to a network server (770) and/or a predefined address on the Internet (780).

17. A voice recording method, comprising the telephony network, at least one mobile station, at least one server and at least one SIM, characterised in that, the said SIM comprises a computer program that establishes voice group call service between the caller at least one recipient and at least one server in order to record the conversation to the server.

18. A voice recording method, comprising the telephony network, at least one mobile station, at least one server and at least one SIM, characterised in that, -the said SIM comprises a computer program that establishes a phone call the server, -the SIM relays at least one recipient phone number to the server, -the server establishes further connections between the caller and at least one recipient,

-the server listens in on at least one connection and records the conversation.