IP-based call content intercept using repeaters

• US 20090141883A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadsoft Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadsoft Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bastien, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/213.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• 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

Abstract

A computer-readable medium for performing IP-based call intercept includes instructions for receiving call initiation data, a first IP packet from the first communications device, and a second IP packet from a second communications device, generating copies of the first IP packet and the second IP packet, and transmitting one of the first IP packets to the second communications device according to the call initiation data, another of the first IP packets to a surveilling agency computer system without encoding a decoding the IP packet, one of the second IP packets to the first communications device according to the call initiation data, and another of the second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the IP packet.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform operations for IP-based call content intercept, the computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions for receiving at least one call initiation data;

instructions for receiving a first IP packet from a first communications device;

instructions for receiving a second IP packet from a second communications device;

instructions for generating a plurality of first IP packets comprising either the first IP packet and at least one copy of the first IP packet, or at least two copies of the first IP packet;

instructions for generating a plurality of second IP packets comprising either the second IP packet and at least one copy of the second IP packet, or at least two copies of the second IP packet;

instructions for transmitting one of the plurality of first IP packets to the second communications device according to one or more of the call initiation data;

instructions for transmitting another of the plurality of first IP packets to a surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another of the plurality of first IP packets;

instructions for transmitting one of the plurality of second IP packets to the first communications device according one or more of the call initiation data; and

instructions for transmitting another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another of the plurality of second IP packets.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for determining if the first communications device or the second communications device is under surveillance based on the at least one call initiation data before generating the plurality of first IP packets; and

instructions for not generating the plurality of first IP packets and not generating the plurality of second IP packets if neither the first communications device nor the second communications device is under surveillance.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for transmitting another one of the plurality of first IP packets to a second surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another one of the plurality of first IP packets; and

instructions for transmitting another one of the plurality of second IP packets to a second surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another one of the plurality of second IP packets.

4. The computer-readable medium method of claim 3, wherein the surveilling agency computer system does not detect the second surveilling agency computer system and the second surveilling agency computer system does not detect the surveilling agency computer system.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3:

wherein the surveilling agency computer system receives the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets over a first connection;

wherein the second surveilling agency computer system receives the another one of the plurality of first IP packets and the another one of the plurality of second IP packets over a second connection; and

wherein the first connection and the second connection are separate.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first IP packet is selected from a group consisting of an RTP packet, a UDP packet, a SRTP packet, a TCP/IP packet, and a T.38 packet;

and

the second IP packet is selected from a group consisting of one of RTP packet, a UDP packet, a SRTP packet, a TCP/IP packet, and a T.38 packet.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first IP packet is the IP packet of a stream selected from a group consisting of an audio packet stream comprising at least one of audio, modem, and fax signals, a video packet stream, a text messaging packet stream, and desktop collaboration data packet stream;

and

the second IP packet is the IP packet of a stream selected from a group consisting of an audio packet stream comprising at least one of audio, modem, and fax signals, a video packet stream, a text messaging packet stream, and desktop collaboration data packet stream.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of first IP packets or second IP packets comprises applying a repeater profile to the first IP packet or the second IP packet.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first IP packet and the second IP packet are not checked for originating IP address and destination IP address before being copied.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of first IP packets and generating the plurality of second IP packets are performed by at least one repeater.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first IP packet and the second IP packet are received and routed by a plurality of session border controllers

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system further comprises forwarding the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets to a network gateway.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for receiving a third IP packet from a third communications device;

instructions for generating a plurality of third IP packets comprising either the third IP packet and at least one copy of the third IP packet, or at least two copies of the third IP packet;

instructions for transmitting one of the plurality of third IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the one of the plurality of third IP packets;

instructions for transmitting another of the plurality of third IP packets to the first communications device according to one or more of the call initiation data; and

instructions for transmitting another one of the plurality of third IP packets to the second communications device according to one of the one or more call initiation data.

14. A computer-implemented method for Internet Protocol (IP)-based call content intercept, comprising:

receiving at least one call initiation data;

receiving a first IP packet from a first communications device;

receiving a second IP packet from a second communications device;

generating a plurality of first IP packets comprising either the first IP packet and at least one copy of the first IP packet, or at least two copies of the first IP packet;

generating a plurality of second IP packets comprising either the second IP packet and at least one copy of the second IP packet, or at least two copies of the second IP packet;

transmitting one of the plurality of first IP packets to the second communications device according to one or more of the call initiation data;

transmitting another of the plurality of first IP packets to a surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another of the plurality of first IP packets;

transmitting one of the plurality of second IP packets to the first communications device according to one or more of the call initiation data; and

transmitting another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another of the plurality of second IP packets.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising, after receiving the at least one call initiation data:

determining if the first communications device or the second communications device is under surveillance based on the one or more of the call initiation data before generating the plurality of the first IP packets; and

if neither the first communications device nor the second communications device is under surveillance, not generating the plurality of first IP packets and not generating the plurality of second IP packets.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein generating the plurality of first IP packets and generating the plurality of second IP packets are performed by at least one repeater.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the first IP packet and the second IP packet are received and routed by a plurality of session border controllers

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system further comprises forwarding the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets to a network gateway.

19. An apparatus for IP-based call content intercept, comprising:

means for receiving at least one call initiation data;

means for receiving a first IP packet from a first communications device;

means for receiving a second IP packet from a second communications device;

means for generating a plurality of first IP packets comprising either the first IP packet and at least one copy of the first IP packet, or at least two copies of the first IP packet;

means for generating a plurality of second IP packets comprising either the second IP packet and at least one copy of the second IP packet, or at least two copies of the second IP packet;

means for transmitting one of the plurality of first IP packets to the second communications device according to one or more of the call initiation data;

means for transmitting another of the plurality of first IP packets to a surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another of the plurality of first IP packets;

means for transmitting one of the plurality of second IP packets to the first communications device according to one or more of the call initiation data; and

means for transmitting another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system without encoding or decoding the another of the plurality of second IP packets.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for determining if the first communications device or the second communications device is under surveillance based on the at least one call initiation data before generating the plurality of first IP packets; and

means for not generating the plurality of first IP packets and not generating the plurality of second IP packets if neither the first communications device nor the second communications device is under surveillance.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein generating the plurality of first IP packets and generating the plurality of second IP packets are performed by at least one repeater.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first IP packet and the

second IP packet are received and routed by a plurality of session border controllers

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein transmitting the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system further comprises forwarding the another of the plurality of first IP packets and the another of the plurality of second IP packets to a network gateway.

24. A system for IP-based call content intercept comprising:

a packet-based media processor adapted to receive a first IP packet from a first communications device and a second IP packet from a second communications device, generate with at least one repeater a plurality of first IP packets comprising either the first IP packet and at least one copy of the first IP packet, or at least two copies of the first IP packet, generate with at least one repeater a plurality of second IP packets comprising either the second IP packet and at least one copy of the second IP packet, or at least two copies of the second IP packet, transmit one of the plurality of first IP packets to the second communications device, transmit another of the plurality of first IP packets to a surveilling agency computer system, transmit one of the plurality of second IP packets to the first communications device, and transmit another of the plurality of second IP packets to the surveilling agency computer system.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

an application server adapted to receive call initiation data, transmit a message to the packet-based media processor instructing the packet-based media processor to setup at least one repeater, and modify the call initiation data to cause the first IP packet from the first communications device and the second IP packet from the second communications device to be transmitted to the packet-based media processor.