LAWFUL INTERCEPTION IN WIRELINE BROADBAND NETWORKS

• US 20100086119A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Zerbini, Ezio, Larsson, Bengt, De Luca, Enrico
• Granted Patent: US 7,969,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/213.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• 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 7/0063 where the network is a peer-to-peer network

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for lawful interception of data transmissions through at least one broadband network. Data transmissions, including voice and data services as well as high bandwidth transmissions such as multimedia and video, are intercepted and routed to authorized agencies such as law enforcement monitoring facilities. The systems and methods also enable interception of data transmissions such as peer to peer type data transmissions that pass through broadband networks from source to recipient without passing through centralized core network elements. These transmissions are intercepted at access points distributed throughout the broadband networks and forwarded to lawful intercept node elements for transmission to authorized entities.

Claims

1. A method for intercepting data transmissions, comprising:

receiving a command to intercept a data transmission associated with a target, the data transmission being transmitted through a broadband network;

identifying the target;

directing at least one intercept access point to intercept the data transmission, each intercept access point located in the broadband network;

receiving, at a delivery function that is located in a lawful intercept node associated with a core network, at least a portion of an intercepted data transmission; and

transmitting at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from the lawful intercept node to at least one authorized entity.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

adapting the lawful intercept node to associate with at least one of an administration function node, a mediation function node, and a delivery function node.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

adapting the lawful intercept node to interface with at least one of a Third Generation Partnership Project compatible network and a European Telecommunications Standard Institute compatible network.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

implementing at least one intercept access point as a broadband lawful intercept agent.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

implementing at least one intercept access point as at least one external probe.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

aggregating the external probes by use of a lawful intercept mediation gateway.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a command to intercept a data transmission comprises:

receiving, by an administration function located in the lawful intercept node, the command to intercept the data transmission.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

dedicating, by an administration function located in the lawful intercept node and associated with the processor, bandwidth for backhauling at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from the at least one intercept access point to the delivery function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the target comprises identifying the presence of the data transmission.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

intercepting, by the at least one intercept access point, the data transmission.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying the presence of the data transmission comprises:

identifying the data transmission as originating from the target;

or

identifying the target as a recipient of the data transmission.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising:

identifying the presence of the data transmission based upon at least one of a network address identifier, an Internet protocol source address, an Internet protocol destination address, a media access code address, a dial-in number, or a cable modem identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying the data transmission as a data transmission selected from the group consisting of an audio transmission, a video transmission, a voice over Internet protocol transmissions, a peer to peer transmission, a graphical data transmission, and a streaming transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

intercepting, at one or more of the at least one intercept access points, the data transmission during transmission through an access network or through a metro network.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising:

replicating at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising:

backhauling at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from the at least one intercept access point to the delivery function.

17. A system for intercepting data transmissions, comprising:

a receiver associated with a processor for receiving a command to intercept a data transmission associated with a target, the data transmission being transmitted through a broadband network;

the processor adapted to identify the target;

the processor directing at least one intercept access point to intercept the data transmission, each intercept access point located in the broadband network;

a delivery function associated with the processor, the delivery function receiving at least a portion of an intercepted data transmission, the delivery function located in a lawful intercept node associated with a core network; and

a transmitter transmitting at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from the lawful intercept node to at least one authorized entity.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising:

the lawful intercept node being adapted to associate with at least one of an administration function node, a mediation function node, and a delivery function node.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the core network comprises:

at least one of a Third Generation Partnership Project compatible network or a European Telecommunications Standard Institute compatible network.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the broadband network comprises:

at least one of an access network, metro area network, local area network, or wide area network.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the receiver or the processor comprises an administration function.

22. The system of claim 17, comprising:

the processor identifying the data transmission as a data transmission selected from the group consisting of an audio transmission, a video transmission, a voice over Internet protocol transmissions, a peer to peer transmission, a graphical data transmission, and a streaming transmission.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one intercept access point is implemented as a broadband lawful interception agent.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one intercept access point is implemented as at least one external probe.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein at least one lawful intercept mediation gateway aggregates the at least one external probe.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the lawful intercept node is adapted to receive the intercepted data from each of the plurality of intercept access points.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the transmitter comprises a mediation function.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one intercept access point identifies the presence of the data transmission.

29. The system of claim 28, comprising:

the processor identifying the data transmission as originating from the target;

or

the processor identifying the target as a recipient of the data transmission.

30. The system of claim 28, comprising:

the processor identifying the presence of the data transmission based upon at least one of a network address identifier, an Internet protocol source address, an Internet protocol destination address, a media access code address, a dial-in number, and a cable modem identifier.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one intercept access point intercepts the data transmission.

32. The system of claim 31, comprising:

an administration function located in the lawful intercept node and associated with the processor, the administration function dedicating bandwidth for backhauling at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from at least one of the intercept access points to the delivery function.

33. The system of claim 31, comprising:

the at least one intercept access point intercepting the data transmission during transmission through an access network or through a metro network.

34. The system of claim 31, comprising:

the at least one intercept access point replicating at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission is backhauled from at least one of the intercept access points to the delivery function.

36. The system of claim 31, comprising:

the receiver receiving at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission transmitted from the at least one intercept access point to a lawful intercept node.

37. A system for intercepting data transmissions, comprising:

means for receiving a command to intercept a data transmission associated with a target, the data transmission being transmitted through a broadband network;

means for identifying the target;

means for directing at least one intercept access point to intercept the data transmission, each intercept access point located in the broadband network;

means for receiving, at a delivery function that is located in a lawful intercept node associated with a core network, at least a portion of an intercepted data transmission; and

means for transmitting at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from the lawful intercept node to at least one authorized entity.

38. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for intercepting data transmissions, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising:

computer readable code for causing a network element to receive a command to intercept a data transmission associated with a target, the data transmission being transmitted through a broadband network;

computer readable code for causing a network element to identify a target;

computer readable code for causing a network element to intercept the data transmission at one or more intercept access points, each intercept access point located in the broadband network;

computer readable code for causing a network element to receive, in a lawful intercept node, at least a portion of an intercepted data transmission; and

computer readable code for causing a network element to transmit at least a portion of the intercepted data transmission from the lawful intercept node to at least one authorized entity.