Third party recording of data transferred using the IP protocol

• US 20060227719A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nice Ltd
• Original Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Halbraich, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• 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 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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 11/045 Selection or connection testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13092 Scanning of subscriber lines, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX

Abstract

A method or apparatus for managing monitoring of packet data traffic of a packet switched telephony trunk connection, such as an IP trunk, wherein the data packets identify ports but monitoring is based on extension lines and the like. A mapping unit is used for obtaining mapping data that relates ports to respective individual connections or extension lines. A packet duplication unit copies data traffic from the trunk, and an associative access unit either stores or allows direct use of the data via the mapping information.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring telephony calls on a packet switched trunk connection using packet data traffic, said trunk connecting PABX units, each trunk unit comprising a plurality of individual connections associated with individual PABX ports, said connections being grouped together using packet switching, each connection being between a data port at a first end of the trunk and another data port paired thereto at a second end of the trunk, each packet comprising a header identifying data ports of the respective connection, the method comprising:

obtaining mapping data of the connecting trunk, said mapping data relating PABX ports to individual connections; and

obtaining traffic data of at least one individual connection from said trunk and providing traffic data to a monitoring system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said packed switched telephony trunk connection uses the Internet Protocol (IP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining data traffic comprises obtaining an entire content of said trunk.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said mapping data maps trunk connection data ports to PABX ports.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising obtaining the data ports from the header of the traffic data to identify the PABX port associated with said traffic data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said obtaining traffic data comprises using said mapping data to identify a pair of PABX ports it is desired to monitor and obtaining those packets whose headers indicate said identified pair of PBX ports.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said relationship between said PBX ports and said data ports is constant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said relationship between said PBX ports and said data ports is assigned per connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said mapping data is obtained when an individual telephony call is set up.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said mapping date is obtained when an individual telephony call is concluded.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining mapping data comprises monitoring said trunk to detect connection setup signaling.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining mapping data comprises obtaining data from a CTI link.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining mapping data comprises obtaining data from PABX database.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining mapping date comprises obtaining data from a CDR link.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining mapping date comprises obtaining data from any combination of two or more of the following sources:

CTI link, CDR link, PBX database and setup signaling.

16. A mapping unit for monitoring telephony calls on a packet switched trunk connection using packet data traffic, said packet-switched trunk connecting PABX units, each trunk unit comprising a plurality of individual connections associated with individual PABX ports, said connections being grouped together using packet switching, each connection being between a data port at a first end of the trunk and another data port paired thereto at a second end of the trunk, each packet comprising a header identifying data ports of the respective connection, the method comprising:

a mapping unit for obtaining mapping data of the connecting trunk, said mapping data relating PABX ports to individual connections; and

a connection monitoring unit for obtaining traffic data of at least one individual connection from said trunk and providing traffic data to a monitoring system.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said packet switched telephony trunk connection uses the Internet Protocol (IP).

18. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said connection monitoring unit comprises a packet duplication unit, configured to duplicate an entire content of said trunk for said obtaining.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said packet duplication unit is configured to use said mapping data to identify a pair of ports corresponding to an extension it is desired to monitor and to duplicate those packets whose headers indicate said identified pair of ports.

20. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein there is available mapping data that contains mapping data between PABX extensions and channels of a multiplexing system, said mapping unit being configured to obtain a relationship between said channels of a multiplexing system and respective ports.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said relationship between said channels and said extensions is constant.

22. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said relationship between said channels and said extensions is assigned per connection.

23. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said relationship between said channels and said ports is constant.

24. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said relationship between said channels and said ports varies per connection.

25. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said available mapping data is obtainable simultaneously with a connection, thereby enabling real time monitoring of specified connections.

26. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said available mapping data is obtainable only after a connection is concluded, and wherein said packet duplication unit is configured to obtain an entire content of said trunk.

27. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said mapping unit is configured to monitor said trunk to detect connection setup signaling, therefrom to identify a respective extension.

28. Apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising inserting said mapping data into a database relating said extensions with channels of a multiplexing system, thereby to augment said database to provide augmented data that relates said extensions to respective ports.

29. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said augmented data is obtainable simultaneously with a connection, thereby enabling real time monitoring of specified connections.

30. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said augmented data is obtainable only after a connection is concluded, and wherein said packet duplication unit is configured to obtain an entire content of said trunk.