Mobile phone as a one-way recorded transmitter over a cellular network

• US 9,313,323 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callyo 2009 Corp. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: World Emergency Network-Nevada Limited
• Inventors: Bennett, Christopher Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/537,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• 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 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• 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 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Agencies oftentimes desire to monitor personnel in the field during the course of their duties. To provide flexible monitoring capabilities to agencies, a common mobile device such as a mobile phone is converted for use as a radio-based listening system to collect and transmit audio data. Phone features and accessories are leveraged to collect additional data for transmission. Collected data is streamed or otherwise transmitted to monitoring devices at the agency or in the field for operational oversight and recordation.

Claims

1. A computer based method for monitoring a first telephonic device configured as a one-way transmitter (mobile bug), the method comprising:

receiving first information in response to a connection request from the first telephonic device to a virtual number, the first information including a transmitting number corresponding to the first telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the first telephonic device as the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the first telephonic device with a transmitting number of the mobile bug stored in association with the virtual number in a mapping table;

transmitting instructions for connecting the mobile bug to the virtual number, where outgoing audio to the mobile bug is disabled;

receiving second information in response to a connection request from a second telephonic device to the virtual number, the second information including a transmitting number corresponding to the second telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the second telephonic device as a monitoring device permitted to monitor the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the second telephonic device with a transmitting number of the monitoring device stored in association with the virtual number in the mapping table; and

transmitting instructions for connecting the monitoring device to the virtual number, where outgoing audio to and incoming audio from the monitoring device are enabled.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third information in response to a connection request from a third telephonic device to the virtual number, the third information including a transmitting number corresponding to the third telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the third telephonic device as a second monitoring device permitted to monitor the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the third telephonic device with a transmitting number of the second monitoring device stored in association with the virtual number in the mapping table; and

transmitting instructions for connecting the second monitoring device to the virtual number, where outgoing audio to and incoming audio from the second monitoring device are enabled.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructions for connecting the second monitoring device to the virtual number establish bi-directional audio communications between the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the bi-directional audio communications between the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device are established through the virtual number.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructions for connecting the mobile bug to the virtual number where outgoing audio to the mobile bug is disabled establish unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device are established through the virtual number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving real-time information from the mobile bug; and

transmitting the real-time information to the monitoring device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the real-time information includes at least one of an estimate location measurement, still image data, and video data.

9. A computer based method for monitoring a first telephonic device configured as a one-way transmitter (mobile bug), the method comprising:

receiving first information in response to a connection request from the first telephonic device to a receiving virtual number, the first information including a transmitting number corresponding to the first telephonic device and the receiving virtual number;

identifying the first telephonic device as the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the first telephonic device with a transmitting number of the mobile bug stored in association with the receiving virtual number in a mapping table;

transmitting instructions for connecting the mobile bug to the receiving virtual number;

receiving second information in response to a connection request from a second telephonic device to a monitoring virtual number, the second information including the monitoring virtual number;

identifying an association of the monitoring virtual number with the receiving virtual number in the mapping table, the association of the monitoring virtual number with the receiving virtual number permitting monitoring of the mobile bug; and

transmitting instructions for establishing unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the second telephonic device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the second telephonic device are established through the receiving virtual number, the instructions for establishing the unidirectional audio communications further comprising instructions for connecting the second telephonic device to the receiving virtual number.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein outgoing audio to the mobile bug is disabled.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the instructions for establishing the unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the second telephonic device comprise instructions for:

connecting the second telephonic device to the monitoring virtual number; and

passing audio from the receiving virtual number to the monitoring virtual number.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the second information further includes a transmitting number corresponding to the second telephonic device, the method further comprising:

identifying the second telephonic device as a monitoring device permitted to monitor the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the second telephonic device with a transmitting number of the monitoring device stored in association with the monitoring virtual number in the mapping table; and

transmitting, in response to identifying the second telephonic device as the monitoring device, the instructions for establishing the unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the monitoring device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving key-in information provided by the second telephonic device;

identifying the second telephonic device as a monitoring device permitted to monitor the mobile bug in response to matching the key-in information provided by the second telephonic device with an authorized key-in stored in association with the monitoring virtual number in the mapping table; and

transmitting, in response to identifying the second telephonic device as the monitoring device, the instructions for establishing the unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the monitoring device.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving third information in response to a connection request from a third telephonic device to the monitoring virtual number, the third information including the monitoring virtual number;

identifying the association of the monitoring virtual number with the receiving virtual number in the mapping table permitting monitoring of the mobile bug; and

transmitting instructions for;

establishing unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the third telephonic device; and

establishing bi-directional audio communications between the second telephonic device and the third telephonic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein establishing the bi-directional audio communications between the second telephonic device and the third telephonic device comprises connecting the second telephonic device and the third telephonic device to the monitoring virtual number.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the instructions for establishing the unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the second telephonic device or the third telephonic device comprise an instruction for passing audio from the receiving virtual number to the monitoring virtual number.

18. A system for monitoring a first telephonic device configured as a one-way transmitter (mobile bug), the system comprising:

a server comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code, the computer program code when executed performing steps comprising;

receiving first information in response to a connection request from the first telephonic device to a receiving virtual number, the first information including a transmitting number corresponding to the first telephonic device and the receiving virtual number;

identifying the first telephonic device as the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the first telephonic device with a transmitting number of the mobile bug stored in association with the receiving virtual number in a mapping table;

transmitting instructions for connecting the mobile bug to the receiving virtual number;

receiving second information in response to a connection request from a second telephonic device to a monitoring virtual number, the second information including the monitoring virtual number;

identifying an association of the monitoring virtual number with the receiving virtual number in the mapping table, the association of the monitoring virtual number with the receiving virtual number permitting monitoring of the mobile bug; and

transmitting instructions for establishing unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the second telephonic device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a second server comprising one or more processors and a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code, the computer program code when executed performing steps comprising;

identifying the connection request from the first telephonic device to the receiving virtual number; and

establishing, in response to the instructions for connecting the mobile bug to the receiving virtual number, a connection between the first telephonic device and the receiving virtual number where outgoing audio to the first telephonic device disabled.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second server further comprises computer program code that when executed performs steps comprising:

identifying the connection request from the second telephonic device to the monitoring virtual number; and

establishing, in response to the instructions for establishing unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the second telephonic device, at least one of;

a connection between the second telephonic device and the receiving virtual number; and

a connection between the second telephonic device and the monitoring virtual number, wherein audio received from the mobile bug is passed to the monitoring virtual number.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the server further comprises computer program code that when executed performs steps comprising:

receiving third information in response to a connection request from a third telephonic device to the monitoring virtual number, the third information including the monitoring virtual number;

identifying the association of the monitoring virtual number with the receiving virtual number in the mapping table permitting monitoring of the mobile bug; and

transmitting instructions for;

establishing unidirectional audio communications from the mobile bug to the third telephonic device; and

establishing bi-directional audio communications between the second telephonic device and the third telephonic device.

22. A computer based method for monitoring a telephonic device configured as a one-way transmitter (mobile bug), the method comprising:

receiving information in response to a connection request from the telephonic device to a virtual number, the information including a transmitting number corresponding to the telephonic device and the virtual number;

identifying the telephonic device as the mobile bug in response to matching the transmitting number of the telephonic device with a transmitting number of the mobile bug stored in association with the virtual number in a mapping table;

transmitting instructions for connecting the mobile bug to the virtual number;

receiving audio data corresponding to audio communications from the mobile bug to the virtual number;

receiving real-time information from the mobile bug, the real-time information including a plurality of location measurements of the mobile bug;

authorizing a monitoring device to monitor the activities of the mobile bug; and

providing the real-time information and the audio data to the monitoring device authorized to monitor the activities of the mobile bug.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of location measurements are placed on a map.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a location measurement in the plurality of location measurements comprises a latitude reading and a longitude reading.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the location measurement in the plurality of location measurements further comprises one or more of an altitude, heading, speed, accuracy measurement, and a time and date.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the real-time information and the audio data include tags comprising temporal data, the tags configured for synchronizing playback of the audio data and the real-time information at the monitoring device.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising synchronizing the real-time information and the audio data for playback at the monitoring device.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the real-time information further includes at least one of still image data and video data.