SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCESSING VOICE TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20100246589A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelletier, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• 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 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• 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 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call

Abstract

Various systems and methods for intercepting transmissions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a media gateway communicably coupled to a soft switch and an acquisition facility. A first processor and a first computer readable medium are associated with the soft switch. The computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor to receive a transmission originating from a first communicator and indicating at least a second communicator, and to direct the transmission to the acquisition facility via the media gateway. A second processor and second computer readable medium are included, and the second computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the second processor to direct the transmission from the media gateway to the second communicator such that direction of the transmission to an acquisition facility is obscured from at least the second communicator. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A soft switch comprising:

a first interface operable to receive signaling information associated with a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device;

a second interface communicably coupling the softswitch to a plurality of media gateways; and

a processor capable of randomly selecting one of the plurality of media gateways to communicate media between the first communication device and the second communication device during the communication session, wherein the selected media gateway is communicably coupled to an acquisition facility and operable to forward the media to the acquisition facility, wherein the transmission to the acquisition facility is obscured from the second communication device at least in part through random selection of the media gateway.

2. A soft switch as recited in claim 1, wherein the soft switch is operable to direct the selected media gateway to communicate the media to the acquisition facility and to direct the selected media gateway to communicate the media to a second communication device.

3. A soft switch as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a computer readable medium having stored thereon a list of communication devices, wherein the processor analyzes the list to determine whether the communication session should be acquired.

4. A soft switch of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a real time transmission.

5. A soft switch of claim 4, wherein the real time transmission is selected from a group consisting of:

an audio transmission, and

a video transmission.

6. A soft switch of claim 1, wherein the first communication device comprises a device selected from a group consisting of:

a wired telephone,

a cellular telephone,

an audio enabled personal computer,

an audio enabled personal digital assistant,

a voice over internet protocol telephone,

a video enabled wired telephone,

a video enabled cellular telephone,

a video enabled voice over internet protocol telephone,

a video enabled internet protocol communication device,

a video enabled personal computer, and

a video enabled personal digital assistant.

7. A soft switch as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device is identified using one or more of an IP address, a telephone number, and a uniform record locator.

8. A soft switch as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor replaces an indicator of the media gateway during the communication session with an indicator of the at least one communication device.

9. A soft switch comprising:

a first interface operable to receive signaling information associated with a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device;

a second interface communicably coupling the softswitch to at least one media gateway; and

a processor capable of creating signaling instructions for use by the media gateway, the first communication device and the second communication device to direct the communication session to occur over the media gateway such that media associated with the communication session is transmitted between the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint via the media gateway, wherein indication of the media gateway is obscured from the first communication device and the second communication device in the signaling instructions.

10. A soft switch as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a computer readable medium having stored thereon a list of communication devices, wherein the processor analyzes the list to determine whether the communication session should be acquired.

11. A soft switch of claim 9, wherein the communication session comprises a real time transmission.

12. A soft switch of claim 11, wherein the real time transmission is selected from a group consisting of:

an audio transmission, and

a video transmission.

13. A soft switch of claim 9, wherein the first communication device comprises a device selected from a group consisting of:

a wired telephone,

a cellular telephone,

an audio enabled personal computer,

an audio enabled personal digital assistant,

a voice over internet protocol telephone,

a video enabled wired telephone,

a video enabled cellular telephone,

a video enabled voice over internet protocol telephone,

a video enabled internet protocol communication device,

a video enabled personal computer, and

a video enabled personal digital assistant.

14. A soft switch as recited in claim 9, wherein the first communication device is identified using one or more of an IP address, a telephone number, and a uniform record locator.

15. A soft switch as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor is capable of replacing an indicator of the media gateway during the communication session with an indicator of the at least one communication device.