Method and apparatus for synchronizing transcripts and recordings of a bridge conference and using the same to navigate through the recording

1. A method comprising:

recording a bridge conference in an audio file;

accessing said audio file recording of a bridge conference;

recording a transcript of events associated with said bridge conference and recording annotations as part of said transcript, wherein said annotations are selected from the group consisting of public annotations and private annotations;

accessing said transcript of events associated with said bridge conference;

synchronizing said transcript of events associated with said bridge conference with said audio file recording of a bridge conference such that a user can utilize the transcript to navigate to a desired place in said audio file recording of a bridge conference, wherein said synchronizing comprises linking time stamps of the transcript to the time within the audio conference such that the transcript events are synchronized to the audio file recording; and

using said public annotations to identify participants with common interests.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said transcript includes at least one of the group consisting of a participant entry and a conference entry.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for synchronizing transcripts and recordings of a bridge conference, the medium comprising:

instructions for recording a bridge conference in an audio file;

instructions for accessing said audio file recording of a bridge conference;

instructions for recording a transcript of events associated with said bridge conference and recording annotations as part of said transcript, wherein said annotations are selected from the group consisting of public annotations and private annotations;

instructions for accessing said transcript of events associated with said bridge conference;

instructions for synchronizing said transcript of events associated with said bridge conference with said audio file recording of a bridge conference such that a user can utilize the transcript to navigate to a desired place in said audio file recording of a bridge conference, wherein said synchronizing comprises linking time stamps of the transcript to the time within the audio conference such that the transcript events are synchronized to the audio file recording; and

using said public annotations to identify participants with common interests.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3 further comprising instructions for, prior to said accessing an audio file recording of a bridge conference, recording the bridge conference in an audio file.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4 wherein said transcript includes at least one of the group consisting of a participant entry and a conference entry.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 4 wherein said instructions for synchronizing comprise instructions for linking time stamps of the transcript to the time within the audio conference such that the transcript events are synchronized to the audio file recording.

7. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a communications interface;

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and

wherein the memory is encoded with an application for synchronizing transcripts and recordings of a bridge conference, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations of:

recording a bridge conference in an audio file;

accessing said audio file recording of a bridge conference;

recording a transcript of events associated with said bridge conference and recording annotations as part of said transcript, wherein said annotations are selected from the group consisting of public annotations and private annotations;

accessing said transcript of events associated with said bridge conference;

synchronizing said transcript of events associated with said bridge conference with said audio file recording of a bridge conference such that a user can utilize the transcript to navigate to a desired place in said audio file recording of a bridge conference, wherein said synchronizing comprises linking time stamps of the transcript to the time within the audio conference such that the transcript events are synchronized to the audio file recording; and

using said public annotations to identify participants with common interests.

8. The computer system of claim 7 further comprising, prior to said accessing an audio file recording of a bridge conference, recording the bridge conference in an audio file.

9. The computer system of claim 7 wherein said transcript includes at least one of the group consisting of a participant entry and a conference entry.

10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein said synchronizing comprises linking time stamps of the transcript to the time within the audio conference such that the transcript events are synchronized to the audio file recording.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said participants with common interests have made similar annotations.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 3 wherein said participants with common interests have made similar annotations.

13. The computer system of claim 7 wherein said participants with common interests have made similar annotations.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said transcripts of events includes entries for all participants as a participant enters, exits, changes state and speaks.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 3 wherein said transcripts of events includes entries for all participants as a participant enters, exits, changes state and speaks.

16. The computer system of claim 7 wherein said transcripts of events includes entries for all participants as a participant enters, exits, changes state and speaks.