System and method for intercepting telecommunications

• US 20030179747A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Hern, William, Ewoti, Charles B, Goertzen, Christopher J, Goerens, Michael C, Kittlitz, Christian, Pyke, Craik R, Streng, Peter J, Welham, Michael L, Caron, Serge S, Mounki, Halima H, Thompson, Roger L, Taylor, Richard C.
• Application Number:
  US10/181,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179747A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13372 Intercepting operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

A system and method for intercepting a telecommunication signal are generally provided, in which the system and method affect receiving a telecommunication packet, comprising a header and a payload, removing a first header from the packet, replicating the payload and adding a second header to replicated payload and directing the replicated payload to the address associated with the second.

Claims

1. A method of intercepting a telecommunication signal, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a telecommunication packet comprising a predetermined header and a payload;

(b) removing the predetermined header from the packet;

(c) replicating the payload;

(d) adding a new header to replicated payload; and

(e) directing the replicated payload to the address associated with the new header.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining that a telecommunication packet is to be monitored.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of associating the new header with one of an intended recipient and a law enforcement agency.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of replacing the predetermined header with a second predetermined header.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of associating the second predetermined header with the other of the intended recipient and the law enforcement agency.

6. The method of claim 4 in which the step of replacing occurs after the step of replicating.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of directing the payload to the address associated with the second predetermined header.

8. A system for intercepting a telecommunication signal, the system comprising:

(a) an audio server, responsive to a telecommunication signal, for receiving a telecommunication packet comprising a predetermined header and a payload;

(b) a termination point for removing the predetermined header from the packet, for replicating the payload and for adding a new header to replicated payload; and

(c) a relay point for directing the replicated payload to the address associated with the new header.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a media gateway for directing the telecommunication signal to the audio server.

10. The system of claim 8 in which the new header is associated with one of an intended recipient and a law enforcement agency.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a media gateway controller, responsive to a media gateway, for determining that a telecommunication packet is to be intercepted.

12. The system of claim 11 in which the media gateway controller includes a call discriminator, responsive to the telecommunications signal, for determining that the telecommunication signal is subject to interception.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a second termination point for adding a second predetermined header to the payload.

14. The system of claim 13 in which the second predetermined header is associated with the other of the intended recipient and the law enforcement agency.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a second relay point for directing the payload to the address associated with second predetermined header.

16. A method of intercepting a telecommunication signal, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a telecommunication packet comprising a predetermined header and a payload;

(b) removing the predetermined header from the packet;

(c) replicating the payload;

(d) adding a new header to replicated payload; and

(e) directing the replicated payload to the address associated with the new header.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of determining that a telecommunication packet is to be intercepted.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of associating the new header with one of an intended recipient and a law enforcement agency.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the step of replacing the predetermined header removed from the payload with a second predetermined header.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of associating the second predetermined header with the other of the intended recipient and the law enforcement agency.

21. The method of claim 19 in which the step of replacing occurs after the step of replicating.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of directing the payload to the address associated with second predetermined header.

23. A method of redirecting a telecommunication signal, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a telecommunication packet comprising a header and a payload;

(b) removing the predetermined header from the packet;

(c) adding a second predetermined header to payload; and

(d) directing the replicated payload to the address associated with the second predetermined header.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of determining that a telecommunication packet is to be redirected.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of replicating the payload.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of replicating includes replicating the payload before the predetermined header is removed.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of associating the second predetermined header with one of an intended recipient and a law enforcement agency.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of adding a new header to the replicated payload.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of associating the new header with the other of the intended recipient and the law enforcement agency.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of directing the replicated payload to the address associated with the new header.

31. A method of monitoring a telecommunication signal to or from a subject being monitored from or to an associate, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining that a telecommunication signal is subject to being monitored;

(b) establishing a connection between a first gateway associated with one of a subject being monitored and an associate and a first termination point representing a second gateway associated with the other of the associate and the subject;

(c) establishing a connection between the second gateway and a second termination point representing the first gateway; and

(d) establishing a connection between the first termination point and the second termination point to establish a bearer channel between the subject and the associate wherein the first and second gateways appear to be connection directly.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of establishing a connection from at least one of the first termination point and the second termination point to a gateway associated with other than the subject and the associate concurrently with the connection between the first termination point and the second termination point.

33. A method of redirecting a telecommunications signal intended for one of a subject and an associate, the method comprising:

(a) associating a first termination point with a first intended termination point of a first media gateway;

(b) associating a second termination point with a second intended termination point of a second media gateway;

(c) establishing a connection between the first intended termination point and the second termination point;

(d) establishing a connection between the second intended termination point and the first termination point; and

(e) establishing a connection between the first termination point and the second termination point wherein the first intended termination point and the second termination point appear to be connected directly.