Ordered delivery of intercepted data

• US 7,310,331 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sjoblom, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US10/083,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/185 wireless packet-switched
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/187 combining circuit and packet-switched, e.g. GPRS
• 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 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A method for performing a lawful interception in a packet network comprises the steps of generating (S2) interception related information packets from a communication to be intercepted; generating (S2) communication content packets from a communication to be intercepted; providing (S3) identification data for the interception related information packets and for the communication content packets of one group of communication packets; providing (S5) ordering data for each of the interception related information data packets and for each of the communication content packets; and transmitting (S6) the interception related information packets, the communication packets, the identification data and the ordering data to an interception authority device. By this measure, a missequenced reception of interception related information (IRI) packets and communication content (CC) packets can be avoided. Also, the assembly of IRI packets between corresponding CC packets is possible by a corresponding LEMF of the interception authority.

Claims

1. A method for performing a lawful interception in a packet network, comprising:

generating interception related information packets from a communication or network activity to be intercepted; and

/or

generating communication content packets from said communication or network activity to be intercepted;

providing identification data for said interception related information packets and/or for said communication content packets of one group of communication content packets;

providing ordering data for each of said interception related information data packets and/or for each of said communication content packets which are generated in the generating step;

transmitting said interception related information packets, said communication content packets, said identification data and said ordering data to an interception authority device; and

providing a frame for each interception related information packet and each communication content packet, in which said identification data and said ordering data is included.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using said identification data for identifying interception related information packets and for said communication content packets of said one group of communication content packets; and

using said ordering data for ordering said interception related information packets and said communication content packets.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said identification data is a session identification data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said packet network is a general packet radio system network and said session identification is data obtained from a packet data protocol context in general packet radio system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ordering data are integer numbers which are incremented for each sequential packet.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a time stamp to each interception related information packet and/or to each communication content packet.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a time stamp to each interception related information packet and/or to each communication content packet; and

arranging said time stamp in said frame.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ordering data are such that an overflow thereof is possible, and

said method further comprises

providing a packet group indication to each interception related information packet and/or to each communication content packet for distinguishing between the group of packets before said overflow and the group of packets after said overflow.

9. An interception system for packet networks, comprising:

at least one first network element for intercepting a communication; and

at least one interception authority device;

wherein said first network element comprises;

a first packet generator configured to generate interception related information packets from a communication or network activity to be intercepted, and to provide a frame for each interception related information packet; and

/or

a second packet generator configured to generate communication content packets from said communication or network activity to be intercepted, and to provide a frame for each communication content packet;

an identification data generator configured to generate an identification data for said interception related information packets and/or said communication content packets associated to said communication;

an ordering data generator configured to provide ordering data for each of said interception related information data packets and/or each of said communication content packets which are generated by said first and/or second packet generating means; and

a transmitter configured to transmit said interception related information packets and said communication content packets, said identification data and said ordering data to said interception authority device;

wherein said identification data generator is configured to include said identification data and said ordering data in each frame.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said interception authority device comprises:

a receiver configured to receive said interception related information packets and said communication content packets including said identification and said ordering data;

an identification detector configured to identify interception related information packets and communication content packets associated to said one communication; and

a packet ordering unit configured to order said interception related information packets and/or said communication content packets according to said ordering data.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said identification data is a session identification data.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said network is a general packet radio system network and said identification data generator of said first network element is adapted to detect said session identification data from a packet data protocol context.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein said ordering data are integer order numbers and said ordering data generator is configured to increment the order number for each sequential packet.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein said first network element further comprises:

a time stamp generator connected between said identification data generator and said ordering data generator, for providing a time stamp to each interception related information packet and/or to each communication content packet.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein said first network element further comprises

a time stamp generator configured to provide a time stamp to each interception related information packet and/or to each communication content packet, wherein

said time stamp generator is configured to include said time stamp into each of said frames.

16. The system according to claim 9, further comprising

an interception related information packets delivering device configured to deliver said interception related information packets from said first network element to said interception authority device;

a communication content packets delivering device configured to deliver said communication content packets from said first network element to said interception authority device; and

a packet delivering control device;

wherein said packet delivering control device is configured to identify said interception related information packets and said communication content packets associated to said one group of communication content packets on the basis of said identification data, and to order said interception related information packets and said communication content packets on the basis of said ordering data.

17. The system according to claim 9, wherein said ordering data are such that an overflow thereof is possible, and

said system further comprises a packet group distinguisher for providing a packet group indication to each interception related information packet and/or to each communication content packet for distinguishing between the group of packets before said overflow and the group of packets after said overflow.

18. An apparatus for performing a lawful interception in a packet network, said apparatus comprising:

means for generating interception related information packets from a communication or network activity to be intercepted and for providing a frame for each interception related information packet; and

/or

means for generating communication content packets from said communication or network activity to be intercepted and for providing a frame for each communication content packet;

means for providing identification data for said interception related information packets and/or for said communication content packets of one group of communication content packets and for including the identification data in each frame;

means for providing ordering data for each of said interception related information data packets and/or for each of said communication content packets which are generated by said means for generating communication content packets and for including the ordering data in each frame; and

means for transmitting said interception related information packets and/or said communication content packets, said identification data and said ordering data.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said means for transmitting transmits said interception related information packets and/or said communication content packets, said identification data and said ordering data to an interception authority device.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said apparatus is a network element.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the network element is a serving general packet radio system support node.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the network element is a gateway general packet radio system support node.

23. An apparatus for performing a lawful interception in a packet network, said apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect interception related information associated to the communication to be intercepted and creates data packets, in which said interception related information is included, wherein the detector is configured to provide a frame for each data packet;

an identifier generator, configured to provide identification data for said interception related information packets and to include said identification data in each frame;

an ordering device, configured to provide ordering data for each of said interception related information data packets which are generated by the detector; and

a transmitter, configured to transmit said interception related information packets, said identification data and said ordering data;

wherein the identification data generator is further configured to include said ordering data in each frame.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit interception related information packets, said identification data and said ordering data to an interception authority device.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said apparatus is a network element.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the network element is a serving general packet radio system support node.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the network element is a gateway general packet radio system support node.

28. An apparatus for performing a lawful interception in a packet network, said apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect interception communication contents of a communication to be intercepted and creates data packets, in which said communication contents are included, wherein the detector is configured to provide a frame for each data packet;

an identifier generator, configured to provide identification data for said communication content data packets and to include said identification data in each frame;

an ordering device, configured to provide ordering data for each of said communication content data packets which are generated by the detector; and

a transmitter, configured to transmit said communication content data packets, said identification data and said ordering data;

wherein the identification data generator is further configured to include said ordering data in each frame.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit said communication content data packets, said identification data and said ordering data to an interception authority device.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said apparatus is a network element.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the network element is a serving general packet radio system support node.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the network element is a gateway general packet radio system support node.

33. An apparatus for performing a lawful interception in a packet network, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver, which receives packets, comprising interception related information packets and/or communication content packets, identification data and ordering data of an intercepted communication, wherein a frame for each interception related information packet and each communication content packet is provided, in which said identification data and said ordering data is included;

an identifier detector, configured to detect the identification data identifying packets that belong to the intercepted communication; and

an ordering device configured to order the received interception related information packets and/or communication content packets based to the ordering data.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said apparatus is a Law Enforcement Agency device.