System and method for parsing and archiving multimedia data

#A traditional passive tap recording technique includes recorders that are deployed along routes of communications. In this technique, each recorder operates similar to a “sniffer” by analysing pass-by communication packets. The recorder records the packets corresponding to certain communication sessions based on its configuration. FIG. 1 shows a typical deployment of passive tap recorders in a contact center. In an IP telephony environment, recorders are typically deployed either at the voice gateway, which interfaces between Internet Protocol (IP) network and public switched telephone network (PSTN), or at switches in order to stay along the routes of the communications. This technique has the advantages of (1) minimum intrusion to a communication system, (2) cost effectiveness in deployment for companies with centralized office locations, and (3) easy scalability for compliance recording. However, for companies with many distributed branch offices, the above advantages start to diminish. This is especially true if the purpose of the recorders is for quality monitoring.

#First, with the growing usage of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, many telephony-based businesses, such as contact centers, are adopting distributed telephony systems with local access to PSTN, which are still controlled by centralized soft switches. Many contact centers are using at-home agents with soft-phones on their personal computers (PCs). The distributed telephony system makes “recording along the communication routes,” needed for passive tap recording, difficult. Secondly, network security has now become a concern. The deployment of encryption technology has made passive tap recording become even more problematic.

#In addition, many contact centers deploy recorders for quality monitoring purpose, in addition to compliance. In this regard, only a small percentage of the communications are recorded and monitored. However, to assure the accuracy of the sampling, communications are randomly selected for recording across all branch offices. With passive tap recording, a large number of recorders will be required and each recorder will have very low usage.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a prior art system for passive tap recording in a multi-campus network.

#FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system in which multimedia communication at a company can be recorded by an endpoint recorder located anywhere on an IP network connected to the company.

#FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system in which hardware architecture transmits and receives multimedia data via local interfaces in a network.

#Disclosed herein are systems and methods for recording multimedia communication signals without requiring recording devices to be deployed along the route of the two end points of the communication. In particular, the recording of the communication signals can be achieved using a soft switch, a conference bridge, a phone, a multi-media communication device, a computer having a CPU and camera/video capabilities and/or a media application server.

#Exemplary systems are first discussed with reference to the figures. Although these systems are described in detail, they are provided for purposes of illustration only and various modifications are feasible. After the exemplary systems are described, examples of flow diagrams and sequence diagrams of the systems are provided to explain the manner in which communication signals can be recorded. This disclosure references numerous kinds of data for recording during normal business operations, and the data is not limited to any single protocol or payload content. References to multimedia data include, and are not limited to, text data, image data, audio/voice data, video data, computer screen data, live transmission, recorded transmission, still images, moving images, compressed audio, screen data, and video, and natively transmitted audio, screen data and video, just to name a few examples. This disclosure refers to a network and systems connected across network connections, which can include, without limitation, wired, wireless, optical, acoustic, or any other kind of data transmission protocol and medium. References to “phones” and similar terms are not limited to traditional voice processing telephones or even smart phones, but instead, this disclosure relates to all kinds of computer integrated telephony devices that enable audio, video, and interfaces for sharing data across a network.

#Referring now in more detail to the figures, FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a system in which media communication at a company can be recorded by an endpoint recorder located anywhere on an IP network connected to the company. Regarding FIG. 2A, two branch offices 203, 206 of a company may need to record communications between employees and between employees (or “agents”) and customers. Customer communication devices 223, 236 connect to branch offices 203, 206 either via an IP network 219 or via a PSTN network 216, 233, respectively. The customer communication devices 223, 236 can include, but are not limited to, telephones, soft-phones on hand held devices, personal computers, or any computerized device or system capable of retrieving, processing, and transmitting multimedia data across a network.