Abstract:
The present invention includes a method and system of gaining access to an audio stream of a mobile phone. An audio stream detour module is inserted in native libraries on the operating system of the mobile phone. The audio stream detour module creates a new route for audio streams of the mobile phone from the microphone or speaker to a point of access. In one embodiment, a call recording module accesses the audio stream from the point of access in order to record the audio stream during a call.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a mobile phone in which an audio stream can be captured and redirected. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of prior art mobile phone  10 . Prior art mobile phone  10  contains hardware  12 , such as microphones and speakers, or allows the connection of remote microphones and speakers via wireless technology such as Bluetooth, to interface with operating system  14  of the mobile phone as well as applications  16  that run on operating system  14  via native system libraries  17 . The uniform set of libraries  17  allow manufacturers to interface different hardware with a standard operating system. Example operating system for smart phones include Android™, Symbian®, Apple iOS™, RIM BlackBerry®, MeeGo®, Windows® Phone and Bada. 
         [0005]    Some conventional mobile devices limit only a single application to have access to audio that streams from the operating system to the microphone and/or speaker. It is desirable to have access to the audio streams, without interfering with the original intent of the application using and creating them in order, for example, to record the audio of the audio stream going to the speaker and from the microphone, whether the microphone and speaker are directly connected to the phone or via wireless connection to provide an audible record of a mobile phone call. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention includes a method and system of gaining access to an audio stream of a mobile phone. An audio stream detour module is inserted in native libraries on the operating system of the mobile phone. The audio stream detour module creates a new route for audio streams of the mobile phone from the microphone or speaker. The audio stream detour module sends the audio stream to a point of access. The point of access can be created in the native libraries. The point of access can allow an application to have access to the audio stream that is also headed to and from the initial destinations of the microphone and speaker. In one embodiment, the application is a call recording module for recording the audio stream during the call. For example, the audio stream can be audio stream pulse code modulation (PCM) audio. Thereafter, the audio stream detour module of the native library can return the audio stream to its original function to and from the microphone and speaker. 
         [0007]    The invention will be more fully described by reference to the following drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a prior art system of a mobile phone. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a system of a mobile phone in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method of gaining access to an audio stream in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
         [0012]    Mobile phone  20  includes operating system  14  which interacts with native libraries  21 . Suitable operating systems include Android™, Symbian®, Apple iOS™, RIM BlackBerry®, MeeGo®, Windows® Phone and Bada. Mobile phone  20  contains hardware  12 , such as microphones  13  and speakers  15 , or allows the connection of remote microphones and speakers via wireless technology such as Bluetooth, to interface with operating system  14  of the mobile phone as well as applications  16  that run on operating system  14  via native system libraries  21 . Functions and applications  16  use functions of native libraries  21  to establish and maintain calls with mobile phone  20  and for sending and receiving audio stream  23  within the calls. 
         [0013]    Native libraries  21  include audio stream detour module  22  for sending audio stream  23  to point of access module  24  within native libraries  21 . The point of access module  24  creates a point of access in native libraries  21 . The point of access can allow an application to have access to audio stream  23  that is also headed to and from the initial destinations of microphone  13  and speaker  15 . For example, audio stream  23  can be pulse code modulation (PCM) audio an audio stream received or sent by the microphone and/or speaker. Audio data of audio stream  23  can be compressed into a waveform or similar digital audio file in audio format. Thereafter, native library  21  can return audio stream  23  to its original function to and from microphone  13  and speaker  15 . In one embodiment, application  16  is a call-recording application for recording which accesses point of access module  24 . The call recording application can compress the audio stream or pulse code modulation (PCM) packets and store the one or more files for captured audio stream or audio packets from the internal call in local storage  27  using storage module  28 . The call-recording application can determine call data and associate the call data with the one or more files for the captured audio stream or audio packets from the internal call. The call-recording application can include software for digital watermarking, fingerprinting and encryption. Audio stream  23  the audio stream to return to an original function in operating system  14  of the mobile phone for the microphone and/or speaker. 
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a method of gaining access to an audio stream of a mobile phone  30 . In block  32 , a microphone and/or speaker of a mobile phone is activated. In block  34 , an audio stream received or sent by the microphone and/or speaker is detoured using an audio detour module to a point of access. In block  36 , the audio stream is accessed from the point of access by an application. For example, the application can be an application for recording the captured audio stream. In block  38 , the audio stream detour module instructs the audio stream to return to an original function in the operating system of the mobile phone for the microphone and/or speaker. 
         [0015]    Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in connection with a special purpose or general purpose telecommunications device that include both hardware and/or software components, including wireless telephones and other telephony-enabled wireless devices, landline telephones, or special purpose or general purpose computers that are adapted to have telecommunications capabilities. 
         [0016]    Embodiments may also include physical computer-readable media and/or intangible computer-readable media for carrying or having computer-executable instructions, data structures, and/or data signals stored thereon. Such physical computer-readable media and/or intangible computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such physical computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, other semiconductor storage media, or any other physical medium which can be used to store desired data in the form of computer-executable instructions, data structures and/or data signals, and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Within a general purpose or special purpose computer, intangible computer-readable media can include electromagnetic means for conveying a data signal from one part of the computer to another, such as through circuitry residing in the computer. 
         [0017]    When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a computer, hardwired devices for sending and receiving computer-executable instructions, data structures, and/or data signals (e.g., wires, cables, optical fibers, electronic circuitry, chemical, and the like) should properly be viewed as physical computer-readable mediums while wireless carriers or wireless mediums for sending and/or receiving computer-executable instructions, data structures, and/or data signals (e.g., radio communications, satellite communications, infrared communications, and the like) should properly be viewed as intangible computer-readable mediums. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. 
         [0018]    Computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions, data, and/or data signals which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. Although not required, aspects of the invention have been described herein in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by computers, in network environments and/or non-network environments. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, and content structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract content types. Computer-executable instructions, associated content structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing aspects of the methods disclosed herein. 
         [0019]    Embodiments may also include computer program products for use in the systems of the present invention, the computer program product having a physical computer-readable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the computer readable program code comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the system to perform the methods of the present invention. 
         [0020]    It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments, which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.