Method and apparatus for call interception capabilities for use with intelligent network services in a communications system

• US 6,449,474 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Probal, Welling, Jr., James Brian, McGowan, Rosemary
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harry, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US09/443,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32.01, 379/35, 379/7, 379/32.05, 379/201.01, 379/211.01, 379/213.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 455/405, 455/415, 455/414, 455/417, 455/430, 455/410, 455/422, 455/560
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless 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 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a communications system for providing call interception. A call is received at a switch in the communications system. Responsive to the call involving a service using identification numbers unknown to the communications system, a remote database associated with the service is queried, wherein the remote database contains a plurality of identification numbers. A result is received from the remote database in response to querying the remote database. A call interception service is initiated based on the result.

Claims

1. A method in a communications system for providing call interception comprising:

receiving a call at a switch in the communications system, the call being associated with a first telephone number;

responsive to the call involving a service, querying a remote database associated with the service, wherein the remote database contains one or more second telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number, wherein the one or more second telephone numbers are aliases for the first telephone number;

receiving a result from the remote database in response to querying the remote database, the result including an identification of the one or more second telephone numbers;

determining whether the result includes a second telephone number provisioned for call intercept services; and

initiating call interception services based on the result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the services are intelligent network services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications system is a GSM network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is a receiving call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is an originating call.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to an absence of the call involving intelligent network services, querying a local database associated with the switch using the first telephone number;

receiving a result from the local database in response to the query; and

initiating call interception services in response to the result from the local database indicating that the first telephone number is provisioned for call interception.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch is a mobile switching center.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving a call, querying a remote database, receiving a result from the remote database, and initiating call interception services are performed in a switch.

9. A method for providing call interception of calls in a communications system comprising:

receiving a call at a mobile switching center, wherein the call uses an intelligent network service, wherein the call includes a first telephone number;

sending the number to a service control point in a message to initiate the intelligent network service;

receiving a result from the service control point, the result including one or more second telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number, wherein the one or more second telephone numbers are aliases for the first telephone number;

determining whether the result indicates that the call is to be monitored by having a second telephone number associated with call monitoring services; and

responsive to the result indicating that the call is to be monitored, monitoring the call.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of monitoring includes:

sending call information to a destination.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the call is originated by a mobile station within the communications system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the call is terminated at the mobile station within the communications system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first telephone number is a local portability number.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first telephone number is a personal number service.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first telephone number is a virtual private number.

16. A communications system for providing call interception comprising:

receiving means for receiving a call at a switch in the communications system, the call being associated with a first telephone number;

querying means, responsive to the call involving a service, querying a remote database associated with the service, wherein the remote database contains one or more second telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number, wherein the one or more second telephone numbers are aliases for the first telephone number;

receiving means for receiving a result from the remote database in response to querying the remote database, the result including an identification of the one or more second telephone numbers;

determining means for determining whether the result includes a second telephone number provisioned for call intercept services; and

initiating means for initiating call interception services based on the result.

17. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the services are intelligent network services.

18. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the communications system is a GSM network.

19. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the call is a receiving call.

20. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the call is an originating call.

21. The communications system of claim 16 further comprising:

second querying means, responsive to an absence of the call involving intelligent network services, for querying a local database associated with the switch using the number;

second receiving means for receiving a result from the local database in response to the query of the local database; and

second initiating means for initiating call interception services in response to the result from the local database indicating that the number is provisioned for call interception.

22. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the switch is a mobile switching center.

23. A communications system for providing call interception of calls in the communications system comprising:

first receiving means for receiving a call at a mobile switching center, wherein the call uses an intelligent network service, wherein the call includes a first telephone number;

sending means for sending the first telephone number to a service control point in a message to initiate the intelligent network service;

second receiving means for receiving a result from the service control point, the result including one or more second telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number, wherein the one or more second telephone numbers are aliases for the first telephone number;

determining means for determining whether the result indicates that the call is to be monitored by having a second telephone number associated with call monitoring services; and

monitoring means, responsive to the result indicating that the call is to be monitored, for monitoring the call.

24. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the monitoring means includes:

sending means for sending call information to a destination.

25. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the call is originated by a mobile station within the communications system.

26. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the call is terminated at the mobile station within the communications system.

27. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the first telephone number is a local portability number.

28. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the first telephone number is a personal number service.

29. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the first telephone number is a virtual private number.

30. A method for intercepting a call in a wireless network, the method comprising:

provisioning a first number for a mobile station, wherein the first number is unused by the mobile switching center to identify a mobile station and wherein the first number is used to call the mobile station;

receiving a signal, at a mobile switching center, from the mobile station identifying the mobile station for a call;

sending a second number identifying the mobile station to another network;

receiving a result from the another network;

determining whether the first number is contained within the result; and

responsive to the first number being contained within the result, initiating call intercept of the call.

31. A communications system comprising:

a database located in a network, wherein the database is used to provide a service, the database includes a first number and a second number, the first number and the second number are associated with a subscriber to the service, wherein the first number is an alias for the second number; and

a switch located in a wireless communications network, wherein the first number is provisioned within the switch for call interception, and wherein in response to a call involving the second number, sending a first message to the database in the network, receiving a second message from the database, and initiating call interception of the call in response to the first number being returned in the second message.

32. A communications system for intercepting a call in a wireless network, the communications system comprising:

provisioning means for provisioning a first number for a mobile station, wherein the first number is unused by the mobile switching center to identify a mobile station and wherein the first number is used to call the mobile station;

first receiving means for receiving a signal, at a mobile switching center, from the mobile station identifying the mobile station for a call;

sending means for sending a second number identifying the mobile station to another network;

second receiving means for receiving a result from the another network;

determining means for determining whether the first number is contained within the result; and

initiating means, responsive to the first number being contained within the result, for initiating call intercept of the call.

33. A method in a mobile switching center in a wireless communications system for intercepting a call, the method comprising:

provisioning a first number, wherein the first number is unused by the mobile switching center to identify mobile stations;

receiving a call, at the mobile switching center, from a mobile station, wherein the mobile station calls a second number involving a service provided by another network;

sending the second number to the another network;

receiving a result from the another network;

determining whether the first number is contained within the result; and

responsive to the first number being contained within the result, initiating call intercept of the call.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of initiating call intercept of the call includes:

identifying an agency that is to monitor the call using the first number.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the another network is a SS7 network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the result is received from a service control point in the SS7 network.

37. A mobile switching center in a wireless communications system for intercepting a call, mobile switching center comprising:

provisioning means for provisioning a first number, wherein the first number is unused by the mobile switching center to identify mobile stations;

first receiving means for receiving a call, at the mobile switching center, from a mobile station, wherein the mobile station calls a second number involving a service provided by another network;

sending means for sending the second number to the another network;

second receiving means for receiving a result from the another network;

determining means for determining whether the first number is contained within the result; and

initiating means, responsive to the first number being contained within the result, for initiating call intercept of the call.

38. The communications system of claim 37, wherein the initiating means of call intercept of the call includes:

identifying means for identifying an agency that is to monitor the call using the first number.

39. The communications system of claim 37, wherein the another network is a SS7 network.

40. The communications system of claim 39, wherein the result is received from a service control point in the SS7 network.

41. A wireless communications switch comprising:

an first adapter configured for connection to a base station controller;

a second adapter configured for communication with a database;

a switch fabric for switching calls;

a processing unit, wherein a target number has been provisioned to call interception and wherein the processing unit has a plurality of modes of operation including;

a first mode of operation in which the processing unit monitors for a call requiring an intelligent network service;

a second mode of operation, responsive to receiving the call requiring the intelligent network service, in which the processing unit identifies a called number for the call and sends the called number to the database using the second adapter; and

a third mode of operation, responsive to receiving the target number from the database in response to sending the called number to the database, in which the processing unit initiates call interception of the call.

42. The wireless communications switch of claim 41, wherein the second communications adapter is configured to communicate with a service control point providing access to the database.

43. A service control point comprising:

a database, wherein the database includes an identification of a subscriber, a plurality of numbers associated with the subscriber, and an identification of a number within the plurality of numbers as a provisioned number;

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit has a plurality of modes of operation including;

a first mode of operation in which the processing unit monitors for a request from a requestor for a service, wherein request includes a called number;

a second mode of operation, responsive to receiving the request, in which the processing unit, determines the called number is part of the plurality of numbers including the provisioned number; and

a third mode of operation, responsive to the called number being part of the plurality of numbers, returning the provisioned number to the requestor.

44. A computer program product in a computer readable medium in a communications system for providing call interception comprising:

first instructions for receiving a call at a switch in the communications system, the call being associated with a first telephone number;

second instructions, responsive to the call involving a service, for querying a remote database associated with the service, wherein the remote database contains one or more second telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number, wherein the one or more second telephone numbers are aliases for the first telephone number;

third instructions for receiving a result from the remote database in response to querying the remote database, the result including an identification of the one or more second telephone numbers;

fourth instructions for determining whether the result includes a second telephone number provisioned for call intercept services; and

fifth instructions for initiating call interception services based on the result.

45. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing call interception of calls in a communications system comprising:

first instructions for receiving a call at a mobile switching center, wherein the call uses an intelligent network service, wherein the call includes a first telephone number;

second instructions for sending the number to a service control point in a message to initiate the intelligent network service;

third instructions for receiving a result from the service control point, the result including one or more second telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number, wherein the one or more second telephone numbers are aliases for the first telephone number;

fourth instructions for determining whether the result indicates that the call is to be monitored by having a second telephone number associated with call monitoring services; and

fifth instructions, responsive to the result indicating that the call is to be monitored, for monitoring the call.

46. A computer program product in a computer readable medium in a mobile switching center in a wireless communications system for intercepting a call, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for provisioning a first number, wherein the first number is unused by the mobile switching center to identify mobile stations;

second instructions for receiving a call, at the mobile switching center, from a mobile station, wherein the mobile station calls a second number involving a service provided by another network;

third instructions for sending the second number to the another network;

fourth instructions for receiving a result from the another network;

fifth instructions for determining whether the first number is contained within the result; and

sixth instructions, responsive to the first number being contained within the result, for initiating call intercept of the call.

47. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for intercepting a call in a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for provisioning a first number for a mobile station, wherein the first number is unused by the mobile switching center to identify a mobile station and wherein the first number is used to call the mobile station;

second instructions for receiving a signal, at a mobile switching center, from the mobile station identifying the mobile station for a call;

third instructions for sending a second number identifying the mobile station to another network;

fourth instructions for receiving a result from the another network;

fifth instructions for determining whether the first number is contained within the result; and

sixth instructions, responsive to the first number being contained within the result, for initiating call intercept of the call.