Switching apparatus having function for processing malicious call and operating method of the same

• US 6,807,253 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG-Ericsson Company Limited (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Won, Joung-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/996,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 379/7, 379/32-- 3, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/85, 379/88-9-, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.05, 379/142.06, 379/202-1-2, 379/207.01, 379/242, 379/245, 379/246
• US Class Current: 379/32.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20

Abstract

A switching apparatus and method are disclosed. The method involves establishing, in response to a call from a caller, a communication path between the caller and a called party, selectively tracing only a CID of the caller, or the CID of the caller while wiretapping a content of the conversation, allocating a wiretap resource when a third communication path is established, and outputting the traced CID, information of the call, and wiretapped communication signals.

Claims

1. A switching apparatus for receiving a plurality of subscribers, and establishing a communication path between calling and called ones of the subscribers in accordance with a switching operation thereof, comprising:

a cross switch internally provided with a caller identification (CID) processor adapted to identify a CID, the cross switch being connected with a plurality of subscriber terminals respectively associated with the subscribers while serving to establish a communication path between calling and called ones of the subscriber terminals in accordance with a switching operation thereof,

a wiretap resource unit for establishing a communication path enabling a plurality of designated subscribers to communicate simultaneously;

the subscriber terminals each connected to the cross switch, thereby communicating with the called subscriber terminal;

an operating terminal unit connected between the cross switch and the wiretap resource unit, the operating terminal unit serving to set the communication path between the calling subscriber terminal and the called subscriber terminal to pass through a selected one of the cross switch and the wiretap resource unit, while serving to monitor and control the entire part of the switching apparatus that was used to pass through the selected one of the cross switch and the wiretap unit;

a database for storing data on a third communication path allocated and designated for wiretapping of a content on conversation by telephone made in association with a malicious call; and

a wiretap terminal connected to the wiretap resource unit and adapted to wiretap and record the content of conversation by telephone made in association with the malicious call.

2. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating terminal unit serves to control a resource of the wiretap resource unit allocated to the wiretap terminal so that the wiretap terminal is connected to the third communication path only via a receiving channel.

21. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiretap resource connects a plurality of third communication paths so that a plurality of wire tap terminals catty out a wiretap at different places, respectively.

22. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wire tap terminal is at least one of a wired and a wireless terminal.

23. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third communication path is established, based on a code designated by the called subscriber terminal.

24. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transmitting channel of the third communication path is cut off while connecting only a receiving channel of the third communication path.

3. A method for processing a malicious call in a switching apparatus having caller identification (CID) and conference call functions, comprising:

determining a call processing mode set by a called subscriber terminal to trace only a CID of a calling subscriber terminal, or to trace a CID of a particularly designated caller or CIDs of all callers while wiretapping a content of conversation by telephone made by the particularly designated caller or each of the callers;

if it is determined that the call processing mode is set to trace the CID or CIDs while wiretapping the content of conversation by telephone, then establishing a third communication path for wiretap services, and allocating a wiretap resource to allow the content of conversation by telephone to be wiretapped via the third communication path; and

outputting the wiretapped content of conversation by telephone via the third communication path, releasing the allocated wiretap resource when communications between the called and calling subscriber terminals are completed, and completing the processing of the malicious call.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the call processing mode is set to one of a first mode for tracing only the CID of the calling subscriber terminal, a second mode for tracing the CID of the particularly designated caller while wiretapping the content of conversation by telephone made by the particularly designated caller, and a third mode for tracing the CIDs of all callers while wiretapping the content of conversation by telephone made by each of the callers.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

if it is determined that the set call processing mode corresponds to the first mode, then outputting, to an operating terminal unit, the CID of the calling subscriber terminal, and information about a call generated by the calling subscriber terminal, thereby allowing the operating terminal unit to store the CID and the call information.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

if it is determined that the set call processing mode corresponds to the second mode, then determining whether or not a wiretap enabling signal is inputted, and processing a call processing operation associated with the third mode when it is determined that no wiretap enabling signal is inputted, while processing a call processing operation associated with the first mode when it is determined that the wiretap enabling signal is inputted.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

if it is determined that the set call processing mode corresponds to the third mode, then determining whether or not the third communication path is established;

if it is determined that the third communication path is not established, then performing a call processing operation associated with the first mode; and

if it is determined that the third communication path is established, then wiretapping the content of conversation by telephone via the allocated wiretap resource, and releasing the allocated wiretap resource when the communications between the called and calling subscriber terminals are completed.

8. A method for processing a malicious call in a switching apparatus having caller identification (CID) and conference call functions, comprising:

a communicating step of establishing, in response to a call from a calling subscriber terminal, a communication path between the calling subscriber terminal and a called subscriber terminal, and enabling a communication between the calling and called subscriber terminals via the established communication path;

a call processing mode determining step of determining whether a call processing mode set by the called subscriber terminal corresponds to a mode for tracing only a CID of the calling subscriber terminal, or a mode for tracing a CID of a particularly designated caller or CIDs of all callers while wiretapping a content of conversation by telephone made by the particularly designated caller or each of the callers;

a resource allocating step of if it is determined that the set call processing mode corresponds to the mode for tracing the CID or CIDs while wiretapping the content of conversation by telephone, then determining whether or not at least one third communication path for wiretap services is established, and allocating a wiretap resource when it is determined that the third communication path is established;

a wiretapping step of outputting the CID of the calling subscriber terminal, information about the call generated by the calling subscriber terminal, and a communication signal for wiretap on the third communication path; and

communication completion determining and resource releasing steps of determining whether or not communications between the calling and called subscriber terminals have been completed, and returning to the call processing mode determining step when the communications are continued, while releasing the allocated wiretap resource when the communications have been completed, and returning to a process completing step.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the call processing mode determining is carried out by determining, by the switching apparatus, whether the call processing mode set by the called subscriber terminal corresponds to a first mode for tracing only a CID of the calling subscriber terminal, a second mode for tracing a CID of a particularly designated caller while wiretapping a content of conversation by telephone made by the particularly designated caller, or a third mode for tracing CIDs of all callers while wiretapping a content of conversation by telephone made by each of the callers.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

if it is determined that the set call processing mode corresponds to the first mode, then outputting, to an operating terminal unit, the CID of the calling subscriber terminal, and information about a call generated by the calling subscriber terminal, thereby allowing the operating terminal unit to store the CID and the call information.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

if it is determined that the set call processing mode corresponds to the second mode, then determining whether or not a wiretap enabling signal is inputted;

if it is determined that the wiretap enabling signal is inputted, then proceeding to the resource allocating step; and

if it is determined that no wiretap enabling signal is inputted, then proceeding to the CID tracing step.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the resource allocating step comprises:

determining whether or not the third communication path is established;

if it is determined that the third communication path is not established, then proceeding to the CID tracing step; and

if it is determined that the third communication path is established, then allocating a wiretap resource to wiretap the content of conversation by telephone.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the wiretap resource is a switching resource for conference call services adapted to interconnect a plurality of terminals subscribed to the switching apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the resource allocating step is carried out to allocate a wiretap resource to a plurality of third communication paths so that a plurality of wiretappers carry out a wiretap at different places, respectively.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein a wired or wireless terminal is connected to the third communication path.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the resource allocating step is carried out by allocating the wiretap resource using data about the third communication path stored in a database.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the third communication path is established, based on a code designated by the called subscriber terminal, or by an operating terminal unit.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein the wiretapping step is carried out by cutting off a transmitting channel of the third communication path while connecting only a receiving channel of the third communication path.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein the allocation of the wiretap resource is carried out by allocating a line for conference call services.

20. The method according to claim 8, wherein the wiretapping step is carried out by recording communication signals from the calling subscriber terminal.