Providing Remote Access to Media Streams

Abstract

A multimedia player is provided access to recorded multimedia data including data of a first media type, e.g., voice, and at least a second media type, e.g., text, exchanged between at least one user and at least one server. The recorded multimedia data of the first media type is synchronized with the recorded multimedia data of the second media type, e.g., by matching timing information, and the synchronized data is combined. The combined data is then rendered into an audio-video format compatible with the multimedia player. The rendered data may then be saved into a file accessible by the multimedia player. The rendered data may be sent to a multimedia player, or a hyperlink may be created for accessing the rendered data by the multimedia player. The recorded data may be annotated with multimedia data. The user may be notified that the multimedia data has been recorded.

1 - 46 . (canceled)  
     
     
         47 . A method for providing remote access to media streams, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to export media streams for remote presentation the media streams comprising a first media stream and a second media stream originating from disparate sources and related by a circumstance external to the first or second media streams;    converting the first media stream and the second media stream into one or more generic formats to produce a first generic media stream and a second generic media stream;    combining the first and second common media streams to form a generic file complying with an industry standard; and    wherein the combined file complying with an industry standard enables presentation of the combined file using a generic multimedia player, the generic multimedia player being inoperable to present one or more of the first media stream or the second media stream.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the converting and combining comprise exporting the media streams into the generic file for secure communication to a remote user.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the generic formats comprise formats configured to be used with an audio-video interleave standard format.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the generic formats comprise formats configured to be used with a moving picture experts group standard format.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the first media stream is a video stream comprising data captured from a computer associated with a contact center agent, and the first generic media stream comprises a format conversion of the first media stream.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the second media stream is an audio stream captured from a telephone associated with the contact center agent, and the second generic media stream comprises format conversion of the second media stream.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  the generic file comprises an overlay of the audio stream onto the video stream based upon independently generated time associated with the audio stream and the video stream, respectively.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the media streams result from contact center interactions between a customer and a contact center agent.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the synchronizing comprises matching the time stamps associated with the first media stream with the time stamps associated with the second media stream.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising securely communicating the combined file to a remote user.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising streaming the combined file to a remote user for playback, where in the industry standard multimedia player resides on remote computer associated with the remote user.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising creating a hyperlink to the combined file for accessing the combined file using the industry standard multimedia player.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein at least one of the media streams comprise a voice exchange, a voice and text exchange, a web chat, instant messaging, email, or an internet transaction.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the combining is configured to thread exchanges, such that any related media streams are overlayed when the media streams have matching time stamps or concatenated for presentation as a continuous interaction where the time stamps indicate that related media streams occur in series.  
     
     
         61 . A system for providing remote access to disparate media streams, the system comprising: 
 a interface configured to receive a request to export a contact center interaction to a generic file, the contact center interaction comprising a plurality of media streams originating from disparate sources and related by a circumstance external to the media streams;    a mixer configured to combine the plurality of media streams into a single multimedia file, the single multimedia file enabling presentation of the media streams by a third party multimedia player;    wherein the third party multimedia player is inoperable to present one or more of the plurality of media streams prior to combination of the plurality of media streams.    
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the single multimedia file comprises a format configured to be used with an audio-video interleave standard format.  
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the single multimedia file comprises a format configured to be used with a moving picture experts group standard format.  
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein file plurality of media streams comprises a first media stream comprising a video stream including data captured from a computer associated with a contact center agent.  
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein the plurality of media streams comprises a second media stream comprising an audio stream captured from a telephone associated with the contact center agent.  
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the single multimedia file comprises an overlay of the audio stream onto the video stream based upon time stamps generated by an audio source and a video source, respectively; and, wherein the audio source and video source comprise the disparate sources.  
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the plurality of media streams result from contact center interactions between a customer and a contact center agent.  
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the mixer is further configured to synchronize the plurality of media streams by matching time stamps generated by their respective disparate sources and associated with the plurality of media streams, respectively.  
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising a communications interface configured to securely communicate the single multimedia file to a remote user.  
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising a communications interface configured to stream the single multimedia file to a remote user for playback, wherein the third party multimedia player resides on a remote computer associated with the remote user.  
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising a web interface configured to generate a hyperlink to the single multimedia file, the hyperlink being configured to access the single multimedia file using the third party multimedia player.  
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media streams comprises a voice exchange, a voice and text exchange, a web chat, instant messaging, e-mail, or an internet transaction.  
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the combining is configured to thread exchanges, such that any of the plurality of media streams which are related are overlayed on top of each other when the media streams have matching time stamps, or concatenated for presentation as a continuous interaction where the time stamps indicate that any of the plurality of media streams which are related occur in series.  
     
     
         74 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving a request for first media data derived from a first source and second media data derived from a second source, the first media data and second media data being associated by a relationship external to the first or second media data;    converting the first media data or the second media data to a standard format, if the first media data or the second media data are in a native format, respectively;    combining the first media data and the second media data into a multimedia file for playback on a standard multimedia device; and    providing the multimedia file,    wherein the native format is incompatible for playback on the standard multimedia device.