Apparatus for intercepting communication data in a packet network

• US 6,993,015 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Application Number:
  US09/874,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/401, 370/350, 370/241, 370/353, 370/356, 370/250
• US Class Current: 370/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00

Abstract

A communication terminal apparatus and a communication intercepting apparatus performs a communication interception even on a communication network such as the Internet, an Intranet, or the like in which a communication route is not fixed. While the communication terminal apparatus is executing voice communication with another communication terminal apparatus, the communication intercepting apparatus transmits a monitor request signal to the communication terminal apparatus. When the monitor request signal is received, the communication terminal apparatus stores voice data which is transmitted to another communication terminal apparatus and voice data received from another communication terminal apparatus into a monitoring packet and transmits the monitoring packet to the communication intercepting apparatus. The communication intercepting apparatus receives the monitoring packet and reproduces the transmitted packets.

Claims

1. A communication terminal apparatus for allowing data which is transmitted to and received from another communication terminal apparatus through a packet network to be monitored by a communication intercepting apparatus connected to said packet network, said communication terminal apparatus comprising:

communication control means for controlling communication by said communication terminal apparatus with said another communication terminal apparatus and with said communication intercepting apparatus;

monitor request recognizing means for recognizing reception of a monitor request signal from said communication intercepting apparatus while said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus; and

monitoring data generating means for, in the case where said monitor request recognizing means recognizes the reception of said monitor request signal, generating monitoring data including communication data which is transmitted to said another communication terminal apparatus and communication data received from said another communication terminal apparatus and sending said monitoring data to said communication control means for transmission to said communication intercepting apparatus,

wherein said communication control means also controls the reception of a call connection request signal which is transmitted by said communication intercepting apparatus for determining whether said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said monitor request signal is received by said receiving means as an option added to a recall connect request signal.

3. A communication intercepting apparatus connected to a packet network for monitoring data which is transmitted and received through said packet network between a communication terminal apparatus and another communication terminal apparatus, said communication intercepting apparatus comprising:

communication control means for controlling the transmission of a monitor request signal to request said communication terminal apparatus to transmit monitoring data while said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus, and for controlling the reception of said monitoring data from said communication terminal apparatus; and

monitoring means for reproducing said monitoring data received by said communication control means,

wherein said communication control means also controls the transmission of a call connection request signal to said communication terminal apparatus for determining whether said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said communication control means transmits said monitor request signal as an option added to a recall connect request signal, thereby requesting said communication terminal apparatus to transmit said monitoring data.

5. A communication intercepting apparatus connected to a packet network for monitoring data which is transmitted and received through said packet network between a communication terminal apparatus and another communication terminal apparatus, said communication intercepting apparatus comprising:

communication control means for controlling the transmission of a monitor request signal to request said communication terminal apparatus to transmit monitoring data while said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus, and for controlling the reception of said monitoring data from said communication terminal apparatus; and

monitoring means for reproducing said monitoring data received by said communication control means,

wherein said communication control means also controls the reception of a call release request signal indicating that said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus, and said monitoring means produces a busy tone when said call release request signal is received by said communication control means.

6. A communication terminal apparatus for allowing data which is transmitted to and received from another communication terminal apparatus through a packet network to he monitored by a communication intercepting apparatus connected to said packet network said communication terminal apparatus comprising.

communication control means for controlling communication by said communication terminal apparatus with said another communication terminal apparatus and with said communication intercepting apparatus;

monitor request recognizing means for recognizing reception of a monitor request signal from said communication intercepting apparatus while said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus; and

monitoring data generating means for, in the case where said monitor request recognizing means recognizes the reception of said monitor request signal generating monitoring data including communication data which is transmitted to said another communication terminal apparatus and communication data received from said another communication terminal apparatus and sending said monitoring data to said communication control means for transmission to said communication intercepting apparatus,

wherein said communication control means also controls the transmission of a call release request signal to said communication intercepting apparatus for indicating that said communication terminal apparatus is busy communicating with said another communication terminal apparatus.