Intercepting a call connection to a mobile subscriber roaming in a visited PLMN (VPLMN)

• US 7,565,146 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Laurila, Antti, Karki, Urpo, Seurujarvi, Jorma
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/495,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 379/70, 455/414.1, 455/424, 455/445, 455/433, 455/432, 4554321-4323
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/304 intercepting circuit switched data communications lawful interception of wireless network communications H04W12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for intercepting a connection established in a communication network system between a called terminal (B) and a calling terminal (A), said network system comprising at least two communication networks (HPLMN, VPLMN) having an interface towards each other, said called terminal (B) being registered to a subscriber database entity (HLR, HSS) of one of said communication networks (HPLMN) while being located in another one (VPLMN) of said communication networks, the method comprising the steps of: initiating a connection establishment from said calling terminal (A) towards said called terminal (B), requesting, during connection establishment, said subscriber database entity (HLR, HSS) to which said called terminal (B) is registered, for subscriber related information, detecting that said requested information contains an indication that connections to said called subscriber (B) are to be intercepted, and tapping the established connection between the called (B) and calling terminal (A) at the interface between said networks.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating a connection establishment between a calling terminal and a called terminal,

requesting, during connection establishment, a subscriber database of a first mobile network, to provide subscriber related information for the called terminal, the first mobile network being a home mobile communication network of the called terminal,

detecting that both the called terminal and the calling terminal are located in a second mobile communication network visited by the roaming called terminal;

detecting that said requested information contains an indication that connections to said called terminal are to be intercepted;

establishing the connection from the calling terminal via a gateway functionality of the second network to a gateway functionality of the first network, back to the gateway functionality of the second network and further to the called terminal; and

tapping the established connection between the called and calling terminal at the gateway functionality of the first network,

said tapping comprising forwarding duplicates of the intercepted data.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said interface is constituted by gateway functionalities representing an access point to a respective network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

tapping is performed via a gateway functionality of a gateway of said first communication network.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein

tapped information included in said connection is forwarded from said gateway functionality to delivery functionalities.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said communication networks are global system for mobile communication networks and said subscriber database is a home location register.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein

said communication networks are global system for mobile communication networks and said gateway functionalities are gateway mobile switching centers.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said communication networks are third generation mobile communication networks.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said communication networks are packet switched communication networks.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein

said packet switched communication networks are internet protocol based communication networks.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein

said gateway functionalities are call state control functionalities.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein

said subscriber database is a home subscriber server.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an initiator configured to initiate a connection establishment between a calling terminal and a called terminal;

a requester configured to request, during connection establishment, a subscriber database of a home communication network of the called terminal, to provide subscriber related information for the called terminal,

a detector for detecting that both the called terminal and the calling terminal are located in a second communication network visited by the roaming called terminal;

a detector configured to detect that said requested information contains an indication that connections to said called terminal are to be intercepted;

an establisher configured to establish the connection from the calling terminal via a gateway functionality of the second network to a gateway functionality of the first network, back to the gateway functionality of the second network and further to the called terminal; and

a tapper configured to tap the established connection between the called and calling terminal at the gateway functionality of the first network, the tapper being further configured to duplicate intercepted data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, being configured to forward tapped information included in said connection from said gateway functionality to delivery functionalities.

16. An apparatus system according to claim 12, wherein

at least one of said networks is a global system for mobile communications network, and said subscriber database is a home location register.

17. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said network is a global system for mobile communications network and said gateway functionality is a gateway mobile switching center.

18. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said at least one of the networks is a third generation mobile communication network, a packet switched communication network, or an internet protocol based communication network.

19. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said gateway functionality is a call state control functionality.

20. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said subscriber database is a home subscriber server.

21. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said interface is constituted by gateway functionalities representing an access point to a respective network.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the tapper is configured to tap via a gateway functionality of a gateway of said first communication network in the subscriber database of which the called terminal is registered.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the tapper is configured to forward tapped data included in said connection from said gateway functionality to delivery functionalities.

24. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said communication networks are global system for mobile communication networks and said subscriber database is a home location register.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said communication networks are global system for mobile communication networks and said gateway functionalities are gateway mobile switching centers.

26. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said communication networks are third generation mobile communication networks.

27. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said communication networks are packet switched communication networks.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said packet switched communication networks are internet protocol based communication networks.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said gateway functionalities are call state control functionalities.

30. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said subscriber database is a home subscriber server.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

initiating means for initiating a connection establishment between a calling terminal towards a called terminal;

requesting means for requesting, during connection establishment, a subscriber database of a first mobile network, to provide subscriber related information for said called terminal, the first mobile network being a home communication network of the called terminal,

detecting means for detecting that both the called terminal and the calling terminal are located in a second mobile communication network visited by the roaming called terminal;

detecting means for detecting that said requested information contains an indication that connections to said called terminal are to be intercepted;

establishing means for establishing the connection from the calling terminal via a gateway functionality of the second network to a gateway functionality of the first network, back to the gateway functionality of the second network and further to the called terminal; and

tapping means for tapping the established connection between the called and calling terminal at the gateway functionality of the first network,

the tapping means being configured to duplicate intercepted data.

14. A system, comprising

an interface towards at least one other communication network,

a subscriber database to which at least a called subscriber terminal can be registered,

an initiator adapted to initiate a connection establishment from a calling terminal towards said called terminal,

a requestor configured to request, during connection establishment, said subscriber database to which said called terminal is registered, for subscriber related information,

detector configured to detect that said requested information contains an indication that connections to said called subscriber are to be intercepted,

an establisher configured to establish the connection from the calling terminal via a gateway functionality of the second network to a gateway functionality of the first network, back to the gateway functionality of the second network and further to the called terminal;

a tapper configured to tap the established connection between the called terminal and the calling terminal at the interface,

wherein said interface is constituted by a gateway functionality representing an access point to the network, and

wherein the tapper is located at the gateway functionality of a home network of the called terminal.