Lawful intercept management by an authorization system

• US 8,340,292 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Schnellbacher, George Jason, Teixeira de Magalhaes, Joao Carlos Osorio Gouvea, Shojayi, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almamun, Abdullah
• Application Number:
  US12/752,574
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/10, 713/156, 713/168, 380/247, 380/250, 380/277, 370/230, 370/252, 455/410, 455/415, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 380/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications

Abstract

An authorization system in a home wireless network comprises a communication interface and a processing system, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet. The communication interface is configured to receive an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network. The processing system is configured to select a visited internet connection for the wireless communication device and determine whether a lawful intercept is required. The processing system is further configured to include an intercept attribute in an authorization response indicating a destination for collecting intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept. The communication interface is configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet in response to the authorization response and transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination.

Claims

1. A method of operating an authorization system in a home wireless network, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network;

in response to the authorization request, selecting a visited internet connection for the wireless communication device, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network, and determining whether a lawful intercept is required based on information in the authorization request associated with the wireless communication device;

if the lawful intercept is required, including an intercept attribute in an authorization response, wherein the intercept attribute indicates a destination for collecting intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept; and

transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet in response to the authorization response and transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises receiving a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) request message and wherein transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises transferring a RADIUS response message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises receiving a diameter request message and wherein transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises transferring a diameter response message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination for collecting the intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept comprises a packet address of a tunnel endpoint for a proxy mobile internet protocol (proxy mobile IP) tunnel.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the visited wireless network transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination by port minoring the intercepted information to the packet address of the tunnel endpoint for the proxy mobile IP tunnel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network by utilizing a simple internet protocol (simple IP) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the authorization system comprises an authentication, authorization, and accounting server.

8. An authorization system in a home wireless network, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet, the authorization system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network;

a processing system configured to, in response to the authorization request, select a visited internet connection for the wireless communication device, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network, and determine whether a lawful intercept is required based on information in the authorization request associated with the wireless communication device;

the processing system further configured to, if the lawful intercept is required, include an intercept attribute in an authorization response, wherein the intercept attribute indicates a destination for collecting intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept; and

the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet in response to the authorization response and transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the communication interface configured to receive the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises the communication interface configured to receive a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) request message and wherein the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises the communication interface configured to transfer a RADIUS response message.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the communication interface configured to receive the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises the communication interface configured to receive a diameter request message and wherein the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises the communication interface configured to transfer a diameter response message.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the destination for collecting the intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept comprises a packet address of a tunnel endpoint for a proxy mobile internet protocol (proxy mobile IP) tunnel.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the visited wireless network transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination by port minoring the intercepted information to the packet address of the tunnel endpoint for the proxy mobile IP tunnel.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network by utilizing a simple internet protocol (simple IP) protocol.

14. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

the processing system further configured, if the lawful intercept is not required based on the information in the authorization request, to not include the intercept attribute in the authorization response;

the processing system further configured to determine that the lawful intercept is required for the wireless communication device during the access to the internet using the visited connection, and include the intercept attribute in an authorization modification request for the wireless communication device; and

the communication interface configured to transfer the authorization modification request to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited wireless network transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination based on the authorization modification request.

15. A method of operating an authorization system in a home wireless network, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a request to a visited wireless network for access to an internet, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization request for the wireless communication device transmitted from the visited wireless network;

in response to the authorization request, selecting a visited internet connection for the wireless communication device, wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network;

transferring an authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited wireless network provides the access to the internet using the visited internet connection in response to the authorization response;

determining that a lawful intercept is required for the wireless communication device during the access to the internet using the visited internet connection;

in response to determining that the lawful intercept is required, including an intercept attribute in an authorization modification request for the wireless communication device, wherein the intercept attribute indicates a destination for collecting intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept; and

transferring the authorization modification request for delivery to the visited wireless network, wherein the visited wireless network transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises receiving a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) request message, wherein transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises transferring a RADIUS response message, and wherein transferring the authorization modification request comprises transferring a RADIUS change of authorization request.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving the authorization request for the wireless communication device comprises receiving a diameter request message, wherein transferring the authorization response for delivery to the visited wireless network comprises transferring a diameter response message, and wherein transferring the authorization modification request comprises transferring a diameter Re-Auth-Request.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the destination for collecting the intercepted information pursuant to the lawful intercept comprises a packet address of a tunnel endpoint for a proxy mobile internet protocol (proxy mobile IP) tunnel.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the visited wireless network transfers the intercepted information for delivery to the destination by port minoring the intercepted information to the packet address of the tunnel endpoint for the proxy mobile IP tunnel.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the visited internet connection links the wireless communication device to the internet without using the home wireless network by utilizing a simple internet protocol (simple IP) protocol.