Method of listening in to calls

• US 7,676,025 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lautenschlager, Wolfgang, Stahl, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/373,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20030174695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• Field of Search: 379/35, 379/32.05, 379/67.1, 379/32, 379/33, 379/70, 379/112.01, 379/219, 379/126, 379/133, 379/201.05, 370/356, 370/390, 370/235, 370/381, 370/389, 370/410, 370/352, 370/395.52, 713/201, 726/11, 726/22, 380/286, 455/67.1, 455/410, 455/67.12
• US Class Current: 379/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• 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: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of listening in to calls between two or more subscribers of a communications network comprising one or more IP networks as well as to a listening server, a call control server, and an IP router for carrying out the method. When the listening server detects a request to monitor one of the subscribers, it determines at least one call control server assigned to the subscriber. Further, at least one IP router is determined which is responsible for a network access point of the subscriber to the IP network or IP networks. The listening server causes the at least one determined call control server to acquire call data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved. Further, the at least one determined IP router is caused to acquire contents data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved.

Claims

1. A method of listening in to calls between two or more subscribers of a communications network comprising one or more IP networks, the method comprising

when a listening server detects a request to monitor one of the subscribers, said listening server determining at least one call control server associated with the subscriber;

determining at least one IP router which is responsible for a network access point of the subscriber to the IP network or IP networks;

the listening server causing the at least one determined call control server to acquire call data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved; and

the at least one determined IP router acquiring contents data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the listening server determines the at least one IP router and causes the at least one IP router to acquire contents data.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one determined call control server determines the at least one IP router and causes the at least one IP router to acquire content data.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the listening server causes a determined call control server to acquire call data by activating a listening logic contained in the call control server.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the listening server causes a determined call control server to acquire call data by loading a listening logic into the call control server.

6. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the listening logic is triggered for each call setup controlled by the call control server and, as soon as it is triggered, filters call data based on filtering criteria determined by the listening server.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a determined IP router is caused to acquire contents data by activating a listening logic incorporated in the IP router.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a determined IP router is caused to acquire contents data by loading a listening logic into the IP router.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising triggering a listening logic for each call setup controlled by the call control server, and as soon as it is triggered, filtering call data based on filtering criteria determined by the listening server.

12. A listening server as set forth in claim 9, wherein said control unit triggers a listening logic for each call setup controlled by the call control server and, as soon as it is triggered, filters call data based on filtering criteria determined by the listening server.

10. A listening server that supports the listening in to calls between two or more subscribers of a communications network comprising one or more IP networks, wherein the listening server comprises:

a control unit; and

a database;

wherein, when the control unit detects a request to monitor one of the subscribers, the control unit accesses the database to determine at least one call control server associated with the subscriber, and causes the at least one determined call control server to acquire call data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved.

11. A listening server as set forth in claim 10, wherein the control unit determines at least one IP router which is responsible for a network access point of the subscriber to the IP network or IP networks, and the control unit causes the at least one determined IP router to acquire contents data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved.

13. A call control server comprising a control unit that controls calls in an IP network, wherein the call control server further comprises:

a listening logic;

wherein, when a listening server, in response to a request to monitor a subscriber, has determined the call control server as a call control server associated with the subscriber, said listening server causes said listening logic to acquire contents data associated with calls in which one or more subscribers determined by the listening server are involved.

14. A call control server as set forth in claim 13, wherein the listening logic is further designed to determine at least one IP router which is responsible for a network access point of the subscriber to the IP network or IP networks, and that the listening logic is further designed to cause the at least one determined IP router to acquire contents data associated with calls in which the subscriber is involved.

15. A call control server as set forth in claim 13, wherein the listening logic is triggered for each call setup controlled by the call control server, and as soon as it is triggered, filters call data based on filtering criteria determined by the listening server.

16. An IP router comprising a control unit that controls the switching of IP packets in an IP network, wherein the IP router comprises:

a listening logic;

wherein, when a listening server, in response to a request to monitor a subscriber, has determined the IP router as an IP router responsible for a network access point of the subscriber to the IP network, said listening server causes said listening logic to acquire contents data associated with calls in which one or more subscribers determined by the listening server are involved.

17. An IP router as set forth in claim 16, wherein for the acquisition of contents data, the listening logic is further designed to determine those of the IP packets switched by the IP router which are associated with calls and which are sent by the IP router to the subscriber or received from the subscriber.

18. An IP router as set forth in claim 17, wherein the listening logic is further designed to determine the association of an IP packet with a call from the kind and from parameters of the application program being processed for the IP packet.

19. An IP router as set forth in claim 17, wherein the listening logic is further designed to copy the IP packets determined by it and to transfer the copies to the listening sever.