INTERCEPTING VOICE OVER IP COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER DATA COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100150138A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VoIP-Pal.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digifonica (International) Limited (VoIP-Pal.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bjorsell, Johan Emil Victor, Sobolyev, Maksym
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/15 related to dial plan and call routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2022 Path replacement
• 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 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• 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: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for intercepting communications in an Internet Protocol (IP) network involve maintaining dialing profiles for respective subscribers to the IP network, each dialing profile including a username associated with the corresponding subscriber, and associating intercept information with the dialing profile of a subscriber whose communications are to be monitored. Intercept information will include determination information for determining whether to intercept a communication involving the subscriber, and destination information identifying a device to which intercepted communications involving the subscriber are to be sent. When the determination information meets intercept criteria communications are established with a media relay through which communications involving the subscriber will be conducted or are being conducted to cause the media relay to send a copy of the communications involving the subscriber to a mediation device specified by the destination information.

Claims

1. A method for intercepting communications in an Internet Protocol (IP) network system in which communications between a subscriber of said system and another party occur through a media relay to which said subscriber and said another party address their communications destined for each other and which relays said communications between said subscriber and said another party, the method comprising:

determining whether determination information associated with a subscriber dialing profile associated with said subscriber meets intercept criteria;

when said determination information meets said intercept criteria, causing the same media relay through which communications between said subscriber and said another party are relayed to produce a copy of said communications between said subscriber and said another party, while said same media relay relays communications between said subscriber and said another party; and

causing said same media relay to send said copy to a mediation device identified by destination information associated with said subscriber dialing profile.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating said determination information and said destination information with said dialing profile when communications involving said subscriber are not in progress.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating said determination information and said destination information with said subscriber dialing profile when communications involving said subscriber are in progress.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein associating said determination information and said destination information comprises populating intercept information fields in said dialing profile of a subscriber whose communications are to be monitored.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing a routing message for routing communications involving the subscriber through components of the IP network and determining whether said determination information meets said intercept criteria prior to producing said routing message and including at least some of said determination information and said destination information in said routing message when said determination information meets said intercept criteria.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether said determination information meets said intercept criteria comprises determining whether a current date and time is within a range specified by said determination information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein producing a routing message comprises identifying a media relay through which communications involving said subscriber will be conducted and including an identification of said media relay in said routing message such that said media relay acts as said same media relay through which communications between said subscriber and said another party are relayed.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising pre-associating at least one media relay with said dialing profile associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored and wherein identifying said media relay comprises identifying the media relay pre-associated with said subscriber whose communications are to be monitored.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein pre-associating comprises populating media relay fields in said dialing profile with an identification of said at least one media relay.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein associating said determination information and said destination information comprises associating said determination information and said destination information with said dialing profile of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored, in response to receipt of an intercept request message, wherein said intercept request message comprises said determination information and said destination information.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising invoking an intercept request message handler to:

a) find a dialing profile associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored;

b) perform the step of associating said determination information and said destination information with said dialing profile;

c) determine whether said intercept criteria are met; and

d) identify a media relay through which said communications are being conducted such that said media relay can be configured to act as said same media relay through which communications between said subscriber and said another party are relayed.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said dialing profile includes a username identifier and further comprising maintaining active call records for communications in progress, said active call records comprising a username identifier and a media relay identifier identifying the media relay through which said communications are being conducted and wherein identifying a media relay through which said communications are being conducted comprises locating an active call record associated with communications of the subscriber whose communication are to be monitored to identify the media relay associated with said communications.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising maintaining direct-in-dial (DID) records associating PST telephone numbers with usernames of users subscribing to said IP network, and wherein finding a dialing profile associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored comprises finding a username in a DID record bearing a PSTN number associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored and using said username to locate a dialing profile associated with said username.

27. The method of claim 3 wherein associating said determination information and said destination information comprises populating intercept information fields in said dialing profile of a subscriber whose communications are to be monitored.

14. An apparatus for intercepting communications in an Internet Protocol (IP) network, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing dialing profiles associated with respective subscribers of the IP network, at least one of said dialing profiles being associated with a subscriber whose communications are to be monitored, the dialing profile of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored including intercept information including determination information for determining whether to intercept a communication involving said subscriber, and destination information identifying a mediation device to which intercepted communications involving said subscriber are to be sent;

means for determining whether said determination information meets intercept criteria;

means for causing the same media relay through which communications between said subscriber and said another party are relayed to produce a copy of said communications between said subscriber and said another party, while said media relay relays communications between said subscriber and said another party;

means for communicating with said same media relay to cause said same media relay to send said copy of said communications to a mediation device specified by said destination information, when said determination information meets intercept criteria; and

means for causing said same media relay to send said copy to a mediation device identified by said destination information associated with said subscriber dialing profile.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising means for associating said intercept information with said dialing profile when communications involving said subscriber are not in progress.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising means for associating said intercept information with said dialing profile when communications involving said subscriber are in progress.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for associating said intercept information is operably configured to populate intercept information fields in said dialing profile of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising means for producing a routing message for routing communications involving the subscriber through components of the IP network and means for determining whether said determination information meets said intercept criteria prior to producing said routing message and wherein said means for producing said routing message is operably configured to include at least some of said intercept information in said routing message when said determination information meets said intercept criteria.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said means for determining whether said determination information meets said intercept criteria is operably configured to determine whether a current date and time is within a range specified by said determination information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for producing said routing message is operably configured to identify a media relay through which communications involving said subscriber will be conducted and to include an identification of said media relay in said routing message such that said media relay acts as said same media relay through which communications between said subscriber and said another party are relayed.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising means for pre-associating at least one media relay with said dialing profile of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored and wherein said routing means is operably configured to identify from said dialing profile the media relay pre-associated with said subscriber whose communications are to be monitored.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for pre-associating is operably configured to populate media relay fields in said dialing profile with an identification of at said least one media relay.

23. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for associating said intercept information is operably configured to associate said intercept information associated with said dialing profile of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored, in response to receipt of an intercept request message, wherein said intercept request message comprises said intercept information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising means for handling an intercept request message, said means for handling said intercept request message comprising:

a) means for finding a dialing profile associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored, said means for finding a dialing profile cooperating with said means for associating said intercept information with said dialing profile to cause said intercept information to be associated with said dialing profile;

b) means for determining whether said intercept criteria are met; and

c) means for identifying a media relay through which said communications are being conducted such that said media relay can be configured as said same media relay through which communications between said subscriber and said another party are relayed.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said dialing profile includes a username identifier and further comprising means for maintaining active call records for communications in progress, said active call records comprising a username identifier and a media relay identifier identifying a media relay through which said communications are being conducted and wherein said means for identifying a media relay is operably configured to locate an active call record associated with communications of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored to identify the media relay associated with said communications.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising means for maintaining direct-in-dial (DID) records associating PST telephone numbers with usernames of users subscribing to said IP network, and wherein said means for finding a dialing profile associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored is operably configured to find a username in a DID record bearing a PSTN number associated with the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored and use said username to locate a dialing profile associated with said username.

28. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for associating said intercept information is operably configured to populate intercept information fields in said dialing profile of the subscriber whose communications are to be monitored.