Utilization of communication channels between a central office switch and a law enforcement agency

• US 6,728,338 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Matthew Richard, Smith, David B., Kampmeier, Eric Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/708,801
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32.01, 379/35, 379/68, 379/85, 379/208.01, 379/211.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.03, 379/32.04, 379/37, 379/38, 379/45, 379/106.01, 379/106.11, 379/133
• US Class Current: 379/35
• 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: H04Q 2213/13372 Intercepting operator

Abstract

A method and apparatus for conserving Communications Content Channels between a serving switching system and a Law Enforcement Agency premises. After a connection has been established between the serving switch and the Law Enforcement Agency premises using one of the Communications Content Channels, an Agent can transmit an indication that the communication is no-longer of interest; in response to receipt of that indication, the switch disconnects the call from the Communications Content Channel. Advantageously, this arrangement can reduce the number of Communications Content Channels required to monitor a particular target customer, and can overcome arrangements for flooding the Communications Content Channels with non-significant messages.

Claims

1. A method of controlling usage of Communications Content Channels between an end office serving switch and a Law Enforcement Agency premises, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of a call in said switch determining said call is to be content monitored;

in response to determining that the call is to be content monitored, establishing a connection between said switch and said Law Enforcement Agency premises over a Communications Content Camel (CCC);

in response to receipt of an indication from an Agent monitoring said call that it is not any longer necessary to receive the content of said call in said Law Enforcement Agency premises, making said CCC available for other calls;

wherein said switching system is further responsive to another indication from an agent at said Law Enforcement Agency premises, that a connection to the said call should be re-established, establishing a connection for said call between said call and said law enforcement agency premises.

2. A method of controlling usage of Communications Content Channels between an end office serving switch and a Law Enforcement Agency premises, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of a call in said switch determining that said call is to be content monitored;

in response to determining that the call is to be content monitored, establishing a connection between said switch and said Law Enforcement Agency premises over a Communications Content Channel (CCC);

in response to receipt of an indication from an Agent monitoring said call that it is not any longer necessary to receive the content of said call in said Law Enforcement Agency premises, making said CCC available for other calls;

wherein the step of making a CCC available for other calls comprises the steps of;

reducing a priority of said connection over said CCC; and

making said CCC available for a higher priority communication if no idle CCC is available.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

seizing a CCC by searching for an idle available CCC; and

if no CCC is idle, preempting a lowest priority CCC if the lowest priority is less than a priority of said call.

4. A method of controlling usage of Communications Content Channels between an end office serving switch and a Law Enforcement Agency premises, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of a call in said switch determining that said call is to be content monitored;

in response to determining that the call is to be content monitored, establishing a connection between said switch and said Law Enforcement Agency premises over a Communications Content Channel (CCC);

in response to receipt of an indication from an Agent monitoring said call that it is not any longer necessary to receive the content of said call in said Law Enforcement Agency premises, making said CCC available for other calls;

wherein the step of making said CCC available comprises the step of assigning a mini priority to said call, but maintaining said CCC connection until said call disconnects or until said CCC is preempted by a higher priority call.

5. A method of controlling usage of Communications Content Channels between an end office serving switch and a Law Enforcement Agency premise, comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of a call in said switch determining that said call is to be content monitored;

in response to determining that the call is to be content monitored, establishing a connection between said switch and said Law Enforcement Agency premises over a Communications Content Channel (CCC);

in response to receipt of an indication from an Agent monitoring said call that it is not any longer necessary to receive the content of said call in said Law Enforcement Agency premises, making said CCC available for other calls;

said method further comprising the step of;

controlling a priority of said CCC trunk from said Agent.

6. Apparatus for connecting an end-office serving switch and a Law Enforcement Agency premises comprising:

means, responsive to receipt of a call in said switch, for determining that said call is to be content monitored;

means, responsive to said means for determining, for controlling establishment of a connection between said switch and said Law Enforcement Agency premises over a communications content channel (CCC); and

means, responsive to receipt of an indication from an Agent monitoring said call that it is no longer necessary to receive the content of said call in said Law Enforcement Agency premises, for making said CCC available for other calls;

wherein said switching system further comprises means responsive to another indication from an agent of said Law Enforcement Agency premises that a connection to said call should be re-established for establishing a connection over another CCC between said call and said Law Enforcement Agency premises.

7. Apparatus for connecting an end-office serving switch and a Law Enforcement Agency premises comprising:

means, responsive to receipt of a call in said switch, for determining that said call is to be content monitored;

means, responsive to said means for determining, for controlling establishment of a connection between said switch and said Law Enforcement Agency premises over a communications content channel (CCC); and

means, responsive to receipt of an indication from an Agent monitoring said call that it is no longer necessary to receive the content of said call in said Law Enforcement Agency premises, for making said CCC available for other calls;

wherein said apparatus further comprises means responsive to another indication from said Agent for changing a priority of said call for said CCC.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said means for establishing a connection comprises means for establishing a connection using an idle CCC or a CCC with a lowest priority.