SYSTEM FOR MANAGING VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL COMMUNICATIONS IN A NETWORK

• US 20080130539A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aircell LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lauer, Bryan A., Stamatopoulos, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/84 related to preventing electromagnetic interference in petrol station, hospital, plane or cinema
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

The VoIP Management System is capable of identifying voice-based wireless devices and denying wireless communication services to these devices. The VoIP Management System also identifies VoIP packet data traffic, and this communication connection can be denied. The VoIP Management System can also identify encrypted VoIP packet data traffic (for a unique Source-Destination IP pair) based upon VoIP packet data traffic characteristics: packet timing, packet rate, and packet size, since VoIP services have a distinct packet data traffic pattern. When a VoIP call is detected, the VoIP Management System disrupts the identified VoIP packet data traffic, without modifying the packet data content, such as by adding sufficient latency to the Packet Data Unit of the packet data traffic to make the VoIP services unusable.

Claims

1. A system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls, comprising:

network means for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with at least one of said plurality of wireless devices; and

voice call prevention means, connected to said network means, for inhibiting said wireless devices from hosting a voice call, comprising;

data monitoring means, responsive to one of said wireless devices engaged in a communication connection, for determining whether said communication connection comprises a voice call, and

call termination means, responsive to detection of the presence of a voice call, for causing termination of said voice call.

2. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 1 wherein said data monitoring means comprises:

data characteristic means, responsive to a packet data communication connection, for identifying a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of packet data traffic exchanged by said one wireless device on said packet data communication connection; and

correlation means for comparing said identified value of said at least one data transmission characteristic with predetermined values of voice call data transmission characteristics.

3. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 2 wherein said data characteristic means determines said value of said at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic from the class of data transmission characteristics comprising:

inter-packet timing, packet size, volume of packets transmitted per period of time, and volume of packets received per period of time.

4. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 2 wherein said call termination means comprises:

packet processing means for controllably adjusting processing of said packet data traffic to realize a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic that fails to correspond to a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of a voice call.

5. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 4 wherein said packet processing means realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic from the class of data transmission characteristics comprising:

inter-packet timing, volume of packets transmitted per period of time, and volume of packets received per period of time.

6. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 4 wherein said packet processing means realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic exclusive of modifying content of said packet data traffic.

7. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 1 wherein said data monitoring means comprises:

communication connection address means, responsive to said communication connection including a voice call destination, for determining that said communication connection comprises a voice call.

8. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 7 wherein said call termination means comprises:

packet processing means, responsive to said communication connection comprising a data communication connection, for controllably adjusting processing of packet data traffic carried on said data communication connection to realize a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic that fails to correspond to a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of a voice call.

9. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 8 wherein said packet processing means realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic from the class of data transmission characteristics comprising:

inter-packet timing, volume of packets transmitted per period of time, and volume of packets received per period of time.

10. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 8 wherein said packet processing means realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic exclusive of modifying content of said packet data traffic.

11. The system for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 1 wherein said data monitoring means comprises:

device determination means for identifying said wireless device as a voice communication device; and

wherein said call termination means denies service to said wireless device.

12. A method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls, comprising:

generating in a network radio frequency communication signals to communicate with at least one of said plurality of wireless devices; and

inhibiting said wireless devices from hosting a voice call, comprising;

determining, in response to one of said wireless devices engaged in a communication connection, whether said communication connection comprises a voice call, and

terminating, in response to detection of the presence of a voice call, said voice call.

13. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 12 wherein said step of determining comprises:

identifying, in response to a packet data communication connection, a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of packet data traffic exchanged by said one wireless device on said packet data communication connection; and

comparing said identified value of said at least one data transmission characteristic with predetermined values of voice call data transmission characteristics.

14. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 13 wherein said step of determining determines said value of said at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic from the class of data transmission characteristics comprising:

inter-packet timing, packet size, volume of packets transmitted per period of time, and volume of packets received per period of time.

15. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 13 wherein said step of terminating comprises:

controllably adjusting processing of said packet data traffic to realize a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic that fails to correspond to a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of a voice call.

16. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 15 wherein said step of controllably adjusting processing realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic from the class of data transmission characteristics comprising:

inter-packet timing, volume of packets transmitted per period of time, and volume of packets received per period of time.

17. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 15 wherein said step of controllably adjusting processing realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic exclusive of modifying content of said packet data traffic.

18. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 12 wherein said step of determining comprises:

determining, in response to said communication connection including a voice call destination, that said communication connection comprises a voice call.

19. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 18 wherein said step of terminating comprises:

controllably adjusting processing, in response to said communication connection comprising a data communication connection, of packet data traffic carried on said data communication connection to realize a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic that fails to correspond to a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of a voice call.

20. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 19 wherein said step of controllably adjusting processing realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic from the class of data transmission characteristics comprising:

inter-packet timing, volume of packets transmitted per period of time, and volume of packets received per period of time.

21. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 19 wherein said step of controllably adjusting processing realizes a value of at least one data transmission characteristic of said packet data traffic exclusive of modifying content of said packet data traffic.

22. The method for preventing wireless devices from hosting voice calls of claim 12 wherein said step of determining comprises:

identifying said wireless device as a voice communication device; and

wherein said step of terminating denies service to said wireless device.