Method and apparatus for intercept of wireline communications

• US 6,549,613 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1998
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SS8 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ulysses Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Dikmen, Cemal Tamer
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/186,970
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.04, 379/32.05, 379/33, 379/35, 379/221.01, 379/2, 379/134, 379/202.01, 379/230
• US Class Current: 379/70
• 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 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 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

Method and apparatus for conducting surveillance in a SS7 Intelligent Network (IN) or Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) provides in the case of AIN that an Info Analyzed trigger is armed in an end office switch and notifies a delivery function when a call is processed. The delivery function instructs the end office switch to forward the call to the delivery function, where it is accessed for monitoring forwarded back to the end office switch. A similar method is used to process calls received by the SUS. In the case of IN, the identity of a line card assigned to a subscriber under surveillance (SUS) is changed to a number dedicated to surveillance subjects. Calls originated by the SUS are forwarded to a delivery function, which identifies the SUS based on the dedicated number of the calling party, intercepts call content, and forwards the call back to the end office switch with the called party id and the original number and id of the SUS. The end office switch then completes the call. A similar method is used to process calls received by the SUS.

Claims

1. A method of intercepting calls for a subject under surveillance (SUS) in a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) compliant telephone system, comprising:

arming at least one AIN call processing trigger in an end-office switch for a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line;

the at least one trigger causing a first message to be sent to a delivery function unit upon a call to a called party, the at least one trigger further causing a second message to be sent to the delivery function unit upon the SUS receiving a call originating from a calling party to the SUS, on the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line;

in response to the first message and in response to the second message, the delivery function unit instructing the end-office switch to forward the respective call to the delivery function unit;

the delivery function unit forwarding the respective call back to the end-office switch to be connected to the SUS or to the called party; and

obtaining call content of the respective call using the delivery function unit while the respective call is being forwarded through the delivery function unit.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one trigger includes an InfoAnalyzed trigger armed to detect calls to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one trigger includes an InfoCollected trigger armed to detect calls originated by the subscriber.

4. A method according to claim 1 further wherein the delivery function unit sends the obtained call content to a remote location.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the remote location includes a collection function for collecting the call content.

6. A method according to claim 1 including

routing to the delivery function unit a second call to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line using a call waiting feature of the end-office switch; and

the delivery function unit generating a change message when the SUS switches between the first and second calls.

7. A method according to claim 1 including

routing to the delivery function unit a second call originated on the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line using a three way calling feature of the end-office switch;

and

the delivery function unit generating a change message when the SUS switches between the first and second calls.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein a call to a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is forwarded by the end-office switch using a call forward feature.

9. A delivery function apparatus for use with a telephone system compliant with the SS7 Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), comprising a call-receiving unit and a SS7 message processing unit,

the SS7 message processing unit configured to receive a SS7 AIN message indicating a call originated on a subscriber line for a suspect under surveillance (SUS),

the message processing unit further configured to output an AIN message indicating that the call should be forwarded to the call receiving unit of the delivery function apparatus,

the call receiving unit configured to receive a call forwarded-in response to the output AIN message and to output the call with an AIN message routing the call back to an end-office switch where it originated, and further configured to output call content of the forwarded call to a collection function.

17. The delivery function apparatus of claim 9, wherein the SS7 message processing unit is further configured to receive a second SS7 AIN message indicating a call to the telephone line of the SUS and to output a corresponding second AIN message indicating that the call should be forwarded to the call receiving unit of the delivery function apparatus;

wherein the call receiving unit is further configured to receive a call forwarded in response to the second AIN message and to output the call with a second AIN message routing the call back to an end-office switch where it originated, and further configured to output to the collection function call content of the call forwarded in response to the second AIN message.

10. A method of intercepting calls for a subject under surveillance (SUS) in a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Intelligent Network (IN) compliant telephone system, wherein the SUS is provided an apparent telephone number that others use to call the SUS on the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line, comprising:

in an end office switch, configuring the identity of the line card for the SUS to a surveillance telephone number assigned for surveillance purposes so that calls placed by the SUS identify the calling party by the surveillance telephone number;

configuring of the end office switch to send messages to the delivery function unit and to receive instructions from the delivery function unit so that the calls placed by the SUS are forwarded to a delivery function unit, and so that calls placed to the SUS using the apparent telephone number are forwarded to the delivery function unit;

the delivery function unit receiving the forwarded calls, and identifying the SUS by the surveillance telephone number as the calling party or by the apparent telephone number as the called party;

the delivery function unit forwarding calls placed by the SUS back to the end office switch with the calling party identified with the SUS'"'"'s apparent telephone number and with the called party telephone number provided by the SUS so that the end office switch forwards calls placed by the SUS to the called party, and forwarding calls placed to the SUS to the end office switch with the surveillance telephone number as the called party telephone number and with the calling party telephone number the same as received from the end office switch so that calls placed to the SUS are connected to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line; and

the delivery function unit further obtaining a copy of call content for any calls forwarded through the delivery function unit.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the delivery function unit sends the call content to a remote location according to one or more court orders pertinent to the SUS.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the remote location includes a collection function for collecting the call content.

13. A method according to claim 10 including:

routing to the delivery function unit a second call to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line using a call waiting feature of the end office switch; and

the delivery function unit generating a change message when the SUS switches between the first and second calls.

14. A method according to claim 10 including:

routing to the delivery function unit a second call originated on the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line using a three way calling feature of the end office switch; and

the delivery function unit generating a change message when the SUS switches between the first and second calls.

15. A method according to claim 10 wherein a call to a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is forwarded by the end office switch using a call forward feature.

16. A delivery function apparatus for use with a telephone system compliant with the SS7 Intelligent Network (IN), comprising a SS7 IN compatible call processing unit configured to receive a first forwarded SS7 call, wherein identifying information for the first forwarded call indicates that the first forwarded call was placed by a suspect under surveillance (SUS), and configured to output the first forwarded call with a calling party telephone number equal to a telephone number provided to the SUS;

the call processing unit further configured to receive a message and to send a forwarding instruction to a switch with respect to a call to the SUS, and to receive a second forwarded SS7 call, comprising the call to the SUS, wherein identifying information for the second forwarded call indicates that the called party is the SUS, and configured to output the second forwarded call with a called party telephone number equal to a telephone number of the SUS'"'"'s telephone line, so that the forwarded call is connected to the SUS;

wherein the called party telephone number output with the second forwarded call is a surveillance telephone number that is different from the calling party telephone number output with the first forwarded call;

the call processing unit further configured to output call content to a collection function.

18. A method of intercepting calls for a subject under surveillance (SUS) in a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) compliant telephone system, comprising:

arming at least one AIN call processing trigger in an end-office switch for a SUS'"'"'s telephone line;

the at least one trigger causing a message to be sent to a delivery function unit upon a call originating from the SUS to a called party on the SUS'"'"'s telephone line;

in response to the message, the delivery function unit instructing the end-office switch to forward the call to the delivery function unit;

the delivery function unit forwarding the respective call back to the end-office switch to be connected to the called party; and

obtaining call content of the call using the delivery function unit while the call is being forwarded through the delivery function unit.

19. The method of claim 18, including

routing to the delivery function unit a second call to the SUS'"'"'s telephone line using a call waiting feature of the end-office switch; and

the delivery function unit generating a change message when the SUS switches between the first and second calls.

20. The method of claim 18, including

routing to the delivery function unit a second call originated on the SUS'"'"'s telephone line using a three way calling feature of the end-office switch;

and

the delivery function unit generating a change message when the SUS switches between the first and second calls.

21. A method of intercepting calls for a subject under surveillance (SUS) in a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Intelligent Network (IN) compliant telephone system, wherein the SUS is provided an apparent telephone number that others use to call the SUS on the SUS'"'"'s telephone line, comprising:

in an end office switch, configuring the identity of the line card for the SUS to a surveillance telephone number assigned for surveillance purposes so that calls placed by the SUS identify the calling party by the surveillance telephone number;

configuring of the end office switch to send messages to the delivery function unit and to receive instructions from the delivery function unit so that the calls placed by the SUS are forwarded to a delivery function unit;

the delivery function unit receiving the forwarded calls, and identifying the SUS by the surveillance telephone number as the calling party or by the apparent telephone number as the called party;

the delivery function unit forwarding calls placed by the SUS back to the end office switch with the calling party identified with the SUS'"'"'s apparent telephone number and with the called party telephone number provided by the SUS so that the end office switch forwards the call to the called party; and

the delivery function unit further obtaining a copy of call content for calls forwarded through the delivery function unit.