Monitoring system for a remote telephone station

• US 6,947,525 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/324,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 379/7, 379/32.01, 379/32.04, 379/35, 455/405, 455/410
• 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: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

An advanced call monitoring feature which adds an active voice path only between the called party, e.g. a victim, and the monitoring party so remote location of the called party and the monitoring personnel. The active voice path allows monitoring personnel to give instructions or encouragement the called party during lulls in the conversation with the calling party, thus the law enforcement personnel can be actively engaged in the call between the calling party and the called party, even though the monitoring station may be many miles away. This new feature functionality enhances the capabilities and utility of CALEA monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

recognizing the telephone call as an identified telephone call from a station under surveillance;

setting up the identified telephone call to a second station;

after the identified telephone call is set up and connected between the station under surveillance and the second station, setting up a secure passive voice path to a monitoring station; and

connecting a secure active voice path between the second station and the monitoring station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

monitoring the identified telephone call by the secure passive voice path and voicing support by the secure active voice path.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the monitoring station is at a separate location from the second station.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the separate location of the monitoring station is remote geographically from the second station and the secure active voice path connecting step comprises bridging connections for active monitoring voice paths from the second station to the monitoring station.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second station is a wireless station.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the bridging step further comprises an additional incoming call to the second station requiring monitoring by the monitoring station.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the bridging step includes monitoring the additional incoming call to the second station at the monitoring station.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the bridging step includes inserting the bridge into the ring and voice path from the second station to the monitoring station.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic separation between the second station and the monitoring station is up to a plurality of miles.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second station comprises call waiting, automatic call forwarding, and/or messaging features, the method further comprising the step of:

inserting the monitoring station with the same features as the second station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the secure active voice path between the second station and the monitoring station comprises the step of:

connecting a secure active voice path from the monitoring station to the second station, wherein signals from the monitoring station are bridged to the second station without the signals being connected to the station under surveillance.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the station under surveillance is one of:

a fixed telephone, a wireless station, an Internet net-to-telephone station, or a pay telephone.

13. A system comprising:

a first station calling a second station causing a ringing signal to be sent to the second station;

a bridge connects the second station to third station causing a second ringing signal at the third station;

the bridge isolates the ringing signal of the second station from the ringing signal of the third station such that answering the call at the third station before the call is answered at the second station will not stop the ringing of the second station;

the bridge connects the third station to the second station after the third station goes off-hook to answer the call for passive monitoring of a voice path between the first station and the second station; and

after the second station goes off-hook to answer the call, the bridge connects an active voice path between the third station and the second station such that signals from the handset of the third station are bridged to the second station without the signals being connected to the first station.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the third station is at a remote location with respect to the second station.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the bridge is a part of a switching system.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the bridge is part of an adjunct to a switching system.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the switching system inserts the bridge for all incoming calls requiring monitoring by means of the monitoring station.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the switching system provides special treatment for calls that are to be monitored.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the switching system inserts a bridge into the ring and voice path.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first station is one of:

a fixed telephone, a wireless station, an Internet net-to-telephone station, or a pay telephone.