Method and system for intercepting and monitoring signals in a network

• US 6,498,843 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics Government Systems Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Dynamics Government Systems Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Cox, David L
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/295,425
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/35, 379/207, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/230, 379/32.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.03, 379/32.04, 379/201.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.1, 379/221.12, 379/207.02
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• 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: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention intercept and monitor signals of any type associated with a target telephone number in a communications network such that the interception and the monitoring are undetectable. Such methods and systems configure a network by provisioning a route to a collection node in the network, defining a first trigger for intercepting a signal associated with the target telephone number, and by defining a second trigger for routing the intercepted signal on the provisioned route to the collection node. The methods and systems then monitor the signal at the collection node by intercepting the signal based on the first trigger and routing the intercepted signal to the collection node based on the second trigger.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

provisioning a route to a collection node in the network;

defining, in a first node, a first trigger for intercepting the signal; and

defining, in a signaling node, a second trigger for routing the intercepted signal on the provisioned route to the collection node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the step of:

inserting, by the first trigger, a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of defining the second trigger comprises the step of:

keying the second trigger off the call treatment tag inserted by the first trigger.

4. A method for configuring a system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

provisioning a route between a first node and a collection node in the network;

defining, in the first node, a first trigger for detecting the signal; and

defining, in a signaling node, a second trigger for routing the detected signal on the provisioned route to the collection node.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

activating the first trigger and the second trigger before monitoring the signal.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

de-activating the first trigger and the second trigger after monitoring the signal; and

removing the first trigger and the second trigger from the first node and the signal transfer node, respectively.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the step of:

associating, at the first node, a first call treatment tag with the telephone number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of defining the second trigger comprises the step of:

defining, at the signaling node, routing instructions associated with the first call treatment tag.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the step of:

inserting, by the first trigger, a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of defining the second trigger comprises the step of:

keying the second trigger off the call treatment tag inserted by the first trigger.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the steps of:

inserting, by the first trigger, a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message; and

associating the call treatment tag with the telephone number.

12. A method for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network including a provisioned route between a first node and a collection node, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the signal at the first node based on a predefined trigger;

routing, at a signaling node, the detected signal on the provisioned route to the collection node; and

monitoring the routed signal at the collection node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting modifications in service features associated with the telephone number based on a predefined trigger.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting modifications in status of the signal based on a predefined trigger.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

associating, at the first node, a first call treatment tag with the signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the provisioned route based on a predefined trigger.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the provisioned route based on a predefined trigger corresponding to the first call treatment tag.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step comprises the steps of:

detecting the signal at the first node based on a trigger, the trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step comprises the steps of:

detecting the signal at the first node based on a trigger, the trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message; and

associating the call treatment tag with the telephone number.

20. A method for configuring a system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

provisioning a first route between a first node and a second node in the network;

provisioning a second route between the second node and a collection node in the network;

defining, in the first node and the second node, a first set of triggers for detecting the signal; and

defining, in a signaling node, a second set of triggers for routing the detected signal on the first and the second provisioned routes to the collection node.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

activating the first and the second set of triggers before monitoring the signal.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

de-activating the first and the second set of triggers after monitoring the signal; and

removing the first and the second set of triggers from the first node, the second node, and the signaling node, respectively.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of defining the first set of triggers comprises the step of:

associating, at the first node, a first call treatment tag with the telephone number.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of defining the first set of triggers further comprises the step of:

associating, at the second node, a second call treatment tag with the telephone number.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said step of defining the second set of triggers comprises the step of:

defining, at the signaling node, routing instructions associated with the first and the second call treatment tags, respectively.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of defining the first set of triggers comprises the step of:

inserting, by the first set of triggers, at least one call treatment tag within at least one ISDN user part message.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of defining the second set of triggers comprises the step of:

keying the second set of triggers off the at least one call treatment tag inserted by the first set of triggers.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of defining the first set of triggers comprises the steps of:

inserting, by the first set of triggers, at least one call treatment tag within at least one ISDN user part message; and

associating the at least one call treatment tag with the telephone number.

29. A method for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network including a first provisioned route between a first node and a second node and a second provisioned route between the second node and a collection node, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the signal at the first and the second nodes based on predefined triggers, respectively;

routing, at a signaling node, the detected signal on the first and the second provisioned routes to the collection node; and

monitoring the routed signal at the collection node.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting modifications in service features associated with the telephone number based on predefined triggers.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting modifications in status of the signal based on predefined triggers.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

associating, at the first node, a first call treatment tag with the signal.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

associating, at the second node, a second call treatment tag with the signal.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the first and the second provisioned routes based on predefined triggers, respectively.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the first provisioned route based on a predefined trigger corresponding to the first call treatment tag.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the second provisioned route based on a predefined trigger corresponding to the second call treatment tag.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting the signal at the first and second nodes based on at least one trigger, the at least one trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein said detecting step comprises the steps of:

detecting the signal at the first and second nodes based on at least one trigger, the at least one trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message; and

associating the call treatment tag with the telephone number.

54. The method of claim 35, wherein said detecting step comprises the steps of:

detecting the signal at the first nodes based on a trigger, the trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message; and

associating the call treatment tag with the telephone number.

39. A method for configuring a system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

provisioning a virtual loopback route between a first port and a second port in a first node in the network;

defining, in the first node, a first trigger for detecting the signal; and

defining, in a signaling node, a second trigger for routing the detected signal on the provisioned virtual loopback route to the second port.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising the step of:

activating the first trigger and the second trigger before monitoring the signal.

41. The method of claim 39 further comprising the steps of:

de-activating the first trigger and the second trigger after monitoring the signal; and

removing the first trigger and the second trigger from the first node and the signal transfer node.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the step of:

associating, at the first node, a first call treatment tag with the telephone number.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of defining the second trigger comprises the step of:

defining, at the signaling node, routing instructions associated with the first call treatment tag.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the step of:

inserting, by the first trigger, a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the step of defining the second trigger comprises the step of:

keying the second trigger off the call treatment tag inserted by the first trigger.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of defining the first trigger comprises the steps of:

inserting, by the first trigger, a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message; and

associating the call treatment tag with the telephone number.

47. A method for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the signal at a first node that includes a provisioned virtual loopback route between a first port and a second port based on a predefined trigger;

routing, at a signaling node, the detected signal on the provisioned virtual loopback route to the second port; and

monitoring the routed signal at the second port.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting modifications in service features associated with the telephone number based on a predefined trigger.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting modifications in status of the signal based on a predefined trigger.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the provisioned virtual loopback route based on a predefined trigger.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

associating, at the first node, a first call treatment tag with the signal.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein said routing step comprises the step of:

routing the detected signal on the provisioned virtual loopback route based on a predefined trigger corresponding to the first call treatment tag.

53. The method of claim 47, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of:

detecting the signal at the first nodes based on a trigger, the trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message.

55. A system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said system comprising:

a first node that includes a first trigger for detecting the signal;

a second node that includes a second trigger for detecting the signal;

a first provisioned route connecting the first node to the second node;

a second provisioned route connecting the second node to a collection node; and

a signaling node that includes a third and a fourth trigger for routing the detected signal on the first and the second provisioned routes, respectively, to the collection node such that the routed signal is monitored at the collection node.

56. The system of claim 55 further comprising:

a first call treatment tag inserted by said first trigger into a first ISDN user part message; and

a second call treatment tag inserted by said second trigger into a second ISDN user part message;

wherein said third and fourth triggers are keyed off said first and second call treatment tags respectively.

57. A system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said system comprising:

a first node that includes a first trigger for detecting the signal;

a first provisioned route connecting the first node to a collection node; and

a signaling node that includes a second trigger for routing the detected signal on the first provisioned route to the collection node such that the routed signal is monitored at the collection node.

58. The system of claim 57 further comprising a call treatment tag inserted by said first trigger within an ISDN user part message, wherein said second trigger is keyed off said call treatment tag.

59. A system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said system comprising:

a first node including

a first port;

a second port;

a provisioned virtual loopback route linking the first port to the second port; and

a first trigger for detecting the signal; and

a signaling node that includes a second trigger for routing the detected signal on the provisioned virtual loopback route to the second port such that the routed signal is monitored at the second port.

60. The system of claim 59 further comprising a call treatment tag inserted by said first trigger within an ISDN user part message, wherein said second trigger is keyed of said call treatment tag.

61. A method for configuring a system for monitoring a signal associated with a telephone number in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

provisioning a route to a collection node in the network;

defining, in a first node, a first trigger for intercepting the signal, the first trigger inserting a call treatment tag within an ISDN user part message; and

defining, in a signaling node, a second trigger that is keyed off the call treatment tag inserted by the first trigger, the second trigger routing the intercepted signal on the provisioned route to the collection node.