Methods and systems for dictation and transcription
Automated delivery and filing of transcribed material prepared from dictated audio files into a central record-keeping system are presented. A user dictates information from any location, uploads that audio file to a transcriptionist to be transcribed, and the transcribed material is automatically delivered into a central record keeping system, filed with the appropriate client or matter file, and the data stored in the designated appropriate fields within those client or matter files. Also described is the recordation of meetings from multiple sources using mobile devices and the detection of the active or most prominent speaker at given intervals in the meeting. Further, text boxes on websites are completed using an audio recording application and offsite transcription.
1. A method for recording a meeting, comprising:
receiving on a server two or more audio streams from speakers in a meeting;
temporally synchronizing the audio streams;
normalizing volume of the audio streams;
evaluating audio samples during the progression of the audio streams and, at such time as an audio stream has the highest amplitude for a predetermined period, designating that audio stream as the active speaker; and
at such time as a different audio stream has the highest amplitude for the predetermined period, designating that audio stream as the active speaker.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio streams are recorded using mobile devices.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio streams are temporally synchronized by aligning a designated amplitude within the audio streams across each of the audio streams.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volume of the audio streams is normalized by adjusting the maximum amplitude of each of the audio streams so that they are substantially the same.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising consolidating those portions of the audio streams designated as active speaker to create a single master audio stream.
6. A system for recording a meeting, comprising:
one or more recording devices configured to record participants in a meeting;
one or more servers configured with one or more software applications configured to convert the recordings into audio streams;
the one or more software applications further configured to temporally synchronize the audio streams, normalize volume of the audio streams, and evaluate audio samples during the progression of the audio streams such that, when an audio stream has the highest amplitude for a predetermined period, that audio stream is designated as the active speaker, and when a different audio stream has the highest amplitude for the predetermined period, that audio stream is designated as the active speaker.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the recording device is a mobile device.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the audio streams are temporally synchronized by aligning a designated amplitude within the audio streams across each of the audio streams.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the volume of the audio streams is normalized by adjusting the maximum amplitude of each of the audio streams so that they are substantially the same.
10. The system of claim 6 , where in the one or more software applications are further configured to consolidate those portions of the audio streams designated as active speaker to create a single master audio stream.