Advanced intelligent network (AIN) functionality for electronic surveillance

• US 6,229,887 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Farris, Robert D., Pilkerton, Michael G., Albers, Raymond F., Michaelis, Daniel C., Eppert, Charles H. III, Pershan, Barry, Huff, Christine W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/112,160
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/201, 379/207, 379/229, 379/230, 379/34, 379/35, 379/7, 379/114
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls

Abstract

Following the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), the FBI developed a standard set of communication services and interfaces. for lawfully authorized electronic surveillance, for both call data recording and content recording. Existing public switched telephone networks use a variety of switches. Not all of the switches in use are capable of performing the routines required by the CALEA standards. In accord with the invention, Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and/or Local Number Portability (LNP) functionality controls routing and billing of incoming and outgoing calls for the surveillance target. The routing is handled in such a manner that calls to and from the target are directed to a regional switching office which performs those functions for switches in the region which lack that capability. Through this arrangement call detail records (CDRs) regarding the target are accumulated and transferred to a law enforcement authority. If the surveillance of a particular target also requires monitoring of the content of the target'"'"'s calls, the calls are routed through a switch or an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) having the requisite surveillance capability.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a switched telephone network including program controlled switching systems connected by trunks and connected by links to subscriber terminals;

a separate control network having packet switching systems connected to said program controlled switching systems and to a central control, said central control having processor and storage devices controlling through said control network routing of communication paths through said switched telephone network;

a first subscriber terminal connected to a first of said program controlled switching systems by a first of said links;

a second subscriber terminal connected to a second of said program controlled switching systems by a voice and data link;

a storage associated with said central control and connected to said second subscriber terminal by a data link;

said first program controlled switch having programmed therein triggers actuated by the occurrence of predetermined points in call wherein actuation of at least one of said triggers initiates signaling through said control network to said central control and storage in said storage associated with said central control of data including information regarding connections established through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems, and wherein at least a part of said information is transmitted from said storage associated with said central control to said second subscriber terminal via said data link connecting said second subscriber terminal and said storage associated with said central control.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said data link between said second subscriber station and said storage associated with said central controller is separate from said separate control network and maintains at least a virtual circuit between said second subscriber station and said storage associated with said central controller.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said data link between said second subscriber station and said storage associated with said central controller is through a data intranetwork associated with said telephone network.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said information includes information regarding unsuccessful attempts to establish connections through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein said information includes identification of said third subscriber terminal and the time of said attempt.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein said information includes identification of said third subscriber terminal, the time of the initiation of connection and the duration thereof.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein one of said triggers comprises an off hook delay trigger.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein one of said triggers comprises a terminating attempt trigger.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein said information includes identification of a fourth subscriber terminal to which an attempt to establish a connection to said third terminal has been forwarded.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein said information includes the directory number of a subscriber terminal speed dialed by said first subscriber terminal.

11. A system according to claim 1 wherein said telephone network includes a multi-service platform including processor and storage devices, wherein information regarding the installation of call forwarding service for said first subscriber terminal is transmitted to said storage associated with said central control.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein at least a part of said information regarding the installation of call forwarding service for said first subscriber terminal is transmitted from said storage associated with said central control to said second terminal.

13. A system according to claim 1 including an adjunct processor device connected to said second subscriber terminal by a dedicated voice and data link.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said adjunct processor device is connected to one of said program controlled switching systems by a dedicated voice and data link.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein at least a portion of said program controlled switching systems are connected to said one of said program controlled switching systems by dedicated voice and data communication capacity.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein said communication capacity is via PRI ISDN links.

17. A system according to claim 14 wherein said dedicated link is via PRI ISDN link.

18. A system according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said connections established through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems is bridged to said second terminal at said adjunct processor.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein a one way voice link is established from said bridge to said second terminal.

20. A system according to claim 19 wherein said second subscriber terminal includes a muting device.

21. A telecommunications system comprising:

a switched telephone network including program controlled switching systems connected by trunks and connected by links to subscriber terminals;

a separate control network having packet switching systems connected to said program controlled switching systems and to a central control, said central control having processor and storage devices controlling through said control network routing of communication paths through said switched telephone network;

a first subscriber terminal connected to a first of said program controlled switching systems by a first of said links;

a second subscriber terminal connected to a second of said program controlled switching systems by a voice and data link;

a storage associated with said central control and connected to said second subscriber terminal by a data link;

an adjunct processor device connected to said second subscriber terminal by a voice and data link, and connected to one of said program controlled switching systems by a dedicated voice and data link;

at least a portion of said program controlled switching systems connected to said one of said program controlled switching systems by dedicated voice and data communication capacity;

at least one of said program controlled switches having programmed therein trigger objects actuated by the occurrence of predetermined points in call wherein actuation of at least one of said triggers initiates signaling through said control network to said central control and signaling to said adjunct processor device whereby a connection established through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems is bridged to said second subscriber terminal at said adjunct processor device.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein a one way voice link is established from said bridge to said second subscriber terminal.

23. A system according to claim 22 wherein said second subscriber terminal includes a muting device.

24. A system according to claim 21 wherein actuation of said trigger objects initiates signaling through said control network to said central control and storage in said storage associated with said central control of data including information regarding said connection established through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and said third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems, and wherein at least a part of said information is transmitted from said storage associated with said central control to said second subscriber terminal via said data link connecting said second subscriber terminal and said storage associated with said central control.

25. A system according to claim 24 wherein said information includes information regarding unsuccessful attempts to established connections through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and another subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems.

26. In a telecommunications system comprising:

a switched telephone network including program controlled switching systems connected by trunks and connected by links to subscriber terminals;

a separate control network having packet switching systems connected to said program controlled switching systems and to a central control, said central control having processor and storage devices controlling through said control network routing of communication paths through said switched telephone network;

a first subscriber terminal connected to a first of said program controlled switching systems by a first of said links;

a second subscriber terminal connected to a second of said program controlled switching systems by a voice and data link;

a storage associated with said central control and connected to said second subscriber terminal by a data link;

a method comprising;

responsive to an attempt to establish connections through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems, signaling through said control network to said central control;

storing in said storage associated with said central control of information regarding connections established through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems; and

transmitting at least a part of said information from said storage associated with said central control to said second subscriber terminal via said data link connecting said second subscriber terminal and said storage associated with said central control.

27. A method according to claim 26 including the step of maintaining at least a virtual circuit between said second subscriber station and said storage associated with said central controller.

28. A method according to claim 26 including the step of storing in said storage information regarding unsuccessful attempts to established connections through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein said information includes identification of said third subscriber terminal and the time of said attempt.

30. A method according to claim 26 wherein said information includes identification of said third subscriber terminal, the time of the initiation of connection and the duration thereof.

31. A method according to claim 26 including the step of programming into said first of said program controlled switches at least one point in call trigger to initiate said response.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein said trigger comprises a terminating attempt trigger.

33. A method according to claim 32 including the step of programming into said first of said program controlled switches a second point in call trigger to initiate said response.

34. A method according to claim 26 including the step of detecting the forwarding of a call to said first subscriber terminal to a fourth subscriber terminal, and transmitting to said storage identification of said fourth subscriber terminal to which an attempt to establish a connection to said third terminal has been forwarded.

35. A method according to claim 26 including the step of detecting speed dialing by said first terminal, ascertaining the directory number corresponding to the dialed characters, and transmitting said directory numbers to said storage.

36. In a telecommunications system comprising:

a switched telephone network including program controlled switching systems connected by trunks and connected by links to subscriber terminals;

a separate control network having packet switching systems connected to said program controlled switching systems and to a central control, said central control having processor and storage devices controlling through said control network routing of communication paths through said switched telephone network;

a first subscriber terminal connected to a first of said program controlled switching systems by a first of said links;

a second subscriber terminal connected to a second of said program controlled switching systems by a voice and data link;

a storage associated with said central control and connected to said second subscriber terminal by a data link;

an adjunct processor device connected to said second subscriber terminal by a voice and data link, and connected to one of said program controlled switching systems by a dedicated voice and data link;

at least a portion of said program controlled switching systems connected to said one of said program controlled switching systems by dedicated voice and data communication capacity;

a method comprising;

programming at least one of said program controlled switches trigger objects actuated by the occurrence of predetermined points in call;

responsive to said trigger objects signaling through said control network to said central control and signaling to said adjunct processor device;

establishing a connection through said telephone network between said first subscriber terminal and a third subscriber terminal connected to one of said program controlled switching systems; and

bridging said second subscriber terminal to said connection at said adjunct processor device.

37. A method according to claim 36 including the step of establishing a one way voice link from said bridge to said second subscriber terminal.

38. A method according to claim 37 wherein said one way link is created by muting said second subscriber terminal.