Method and system to automatically identify unknown identities

• US 8,897,809 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Madigan, Terry, Fiorillo, Lorenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US13/511,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/435.1, 4554561-4566, 379/142.01
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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 3/2218 Call detail recording
• 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 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods, nodes, arrangements and articles of manufacture to automatically identify unknown identities of a target. The method comprises the following steps: positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location are periodically collected; —at least one mobile network is interrogated and lists of identities of users located in defined target areas, each area covering at least one of the collected positioning indicators, are fetched; —a crosscheck between the fetched lists is performed; a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the fetched lists is identified.

Claims

1. A method by a node to automatically identify unknown identities of a target associated to a known identity, comprising the following steps:

periodically collecting positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location;

interrogating at least one mobile network to fetch lists of identities of users located in at least one target area covering at least one collected positioning indicator;

crosschecking between the fetched lists; and

identifying a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the fetched lists, said single or restricted number of identities being unknown identities of a target associated to said known identity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one mobile network is operatively connected to a mobile positioning centre, and further comprising the following steps:

sending from the mobile positioning centre one positioning indicator of the at least one location of the known identity of the target;

determining a target area where the known identity is present; and

sending to the mobile positioning centre a request to retrieve from the at least one mobile network a list of users located within the target area.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein users located within the target area are present in the area at collecting time of the at least one positioning indicator covered by the corresponding at least one target area.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing that the single or restricted number of identities corresponds to the known identity.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one target area is selected from the group comprising a geometric area, a cell and a group of cells.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of target areas is predetermined, and wherein the positioning indicators indicate that the known target enters one of the target areas.

7. A node to automatically identify unknown identities of a target associated to a known identity, wherein the node is configured to:

periodically collect positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location;

send a request to monitor users present in a target area covering a collected positioning indicator;

receive a list of user identities;

crosscheck between received lists; and

identify a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the received lists, said single or restricted number of identities being unknown identities of a target associated to said known identity.

8. A node to automatically identify unknown identities of a target associated to a known identity, the node comprising:

one or more circuits for periodically collecting positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location;

one or more circuits for sending a request to monitor users present in a target area covering a collected positioning indicator;

one or more circuits for receiving a list of user identities;

one or more circuits for crosschecking between received lists; and

one or more circuits to identify a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the received lists, said single or restricted number of identities being unknown identities of a target associated to said known identity.

9. An arrangement to automatically identify unknown identities of a target associated to a known identity, the arrangement comprising one or more circuits configured to:

periodically collect positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location;

interrogate at least one mobile network to fetch lists of identities of users located in at least one target area covering at least one collected positioning indicator;

crosscheck between the fetched lists; and

identify a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the fetched lists, said single or restricted number of identities being unknown identities of a target associated to said known identity.

10. An arrangement to automatically identify unknown identities of a target according to claim 9, wherein said arrangement is part of a lawful interception configuration.

11. An arrangement to automatically identify unknown identities of a target according to claim 9, wherein at least one mobile network is operatively connected to a mobile positioning centre, and wherein said one or more circuits are further configured to:

send from the mobile positioning centre at least one positioning indicator of the location of the known identity of the target;

determine a target area where the known identity is present; and

receive to the mobile positioning centre a request to retrieve from the at least one mobile network a list of users located within the target area.

12. An arrangement to automatically identify unknown identities of a target according to claim 9, wherein said one or more circuits are further configured to deliver positioning indicators indicating that the known target enters one of a number of predetermined target areas.

13. An arrangement to automatically identify unknown identities of a target according to claim 9, wherein said one or more circuits are further configured to select a target area from the group comprising a geometric area, a cell and a group of cells.

14. An arrangement to automatically identify unknown identities of a target associated to a known identity, the arrangement comprising at least one processor, wherein:

the at least one processor periodically collects positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location;

the at least one processor interrogates at least one mobile network to fetch lists of identities of users located in at least one target area covering at least one collected positioning indicator;

the at least one processor crosschecks between the fetched lists; and

the at least one processor identifies a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the fetched lists, said single or restricted number of identities being unknown identities of a target associated to said known identity.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage memory having computer readable program code embodied therein to automatically identify unknown identities of a target associated to a known identity, the program code comprising:

computer readable program code able to collect positioning indicators indicating presence of a known identity of the target in at least one location;

computer readable program code able to interrogate at least one mobile network to fetch lists of identities of users located in at least one target area covering at least one collected positioning indicator;

computer readable program code able to crosscheck between the fetched lists; and

computer readable program code able to identify a single or restricted number of identities that is common to the fetched lists, said single or restricted number of identities being unknown identities of a target associated to said known identity.